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Legend Of Zelda:The World End Ch. 1
By CarnaRaptor
 http://carnaraptor.freeservers.com/images/zeldalegend.jpg>
Somehow, it felt familiar. The sweltering heat was so intense, the rocky wall not far away seemed to bend backwards and forwards. Sweat glistened down the young Hylian’s face and dripped down onto his red tunic, the only thing allowing him to still breathe in this cave.
A river of molten lava surrounded the stony landing, and all exits had been sealed. Above, the blue sky looked down from the volcanic opening at the young man as he carefully hid behind the thick rock, his large shield wedged in next to the opening, and the decorations slowly melting from the heated blasts they had sustained.
“Link?” a husky, growling voice gurgled from the nearby rocks. “Now?”
Link shook his head and put his finger to his lips to quiet the young rock creature. A large egg was carefully tucked into a huge, padded sack in the Goron’s arms, and though he was as gentle as could be, the Goron was nervous.
Link looked over his shield just enough to see the center of the room.
The great red Dragon continued to thrash about, blasting fireballs in all directions and stamping the boulders deep into the ground. Its enormous wings flailed around, slamming into the sides of the cave walls and its feet continued to claw at the ropes that had trapped it to the walls.
Link looked back at the young Goron. “One more should do it, I think, then we’ll be very careful, agreed, Rook?”
Rook nodded, trusting the young warrior, then tucked in close behind the boulder to protect the egg a little better.
Link carefully tied the rope to the end of two arrows and pulled the feathers off one side of each of the arrows. He pulled his bow out and slowly stood up over the shield and took aim with both arrows. The Hylian released the arrows, and each sliced through the air, sticking into the wall in the distance. The rope that had attached the two arrows caught the neck of the dragon and pulled his head up so that he could not breathe fire down on the plateau.
“Alright,” Link whispered as he lifted his shield from the rocks. “I think we can return it safely.”
Rook nodded and stood up, nervously looking over to the thrashing dragon. “Do you think those ropes will hold it?”
“Not for long, so let’s hurry as quickly as we can,” Link answered as he helped carry the egg. The gold plated gloves he wore increased his strength enough to help carry the enormous egg.
The two worked together as they worked their way across the large opening to the lava pit where three other large eggs rested. When the dragon spotted the egg, it immediately stopped thrashing about and began watching the two carefully with its big, yellow and black cat eyes.
“Do you think she knows we’re returning the egg?” Rook asked. “Does she know we’re not the ones who took it?”
“I don’t think she cares,” Link answered. “All she knows is that it is her egg, and it’s in danger.”
“All the more reason to kill her,” a voice called out from behind Link. “And, it would seem, you have done most of the work for me.”
Link stopped and looked over his shoulder at the familiar voice. Standing in the middle of the room, sword drawn, stood a gray bearded man, smiling at the ancient dragon. He wore the black plated armor and silver mail of a Knight of Uruk, though he was more than a mere Knight.
“By the Gods, no, Bishop!” Link yelled. “This Dragon has done nothing more than try to get its egg back! It does not deserve to be destroyed!”
The warrior laughed heartily at the young Hylian. “He is a dragon, young Link, and by definition, an evil entity. We are heroes, it is our job to destroy evil entities!”
“This isn’t an evil entity, though,” cried Rook. “It is the protector of our people. Thieves took its egg, that is why it attacked the villages!”
“If we put the egg back, it will calm down!” Link yelled.
“Until when, Elf?” Bishop asked. “What about when its babies are born, do you think they will just fly off and find another home where they will protect other Gorons? They will wipe out all humans until they think their home is safe, young fool. We can stop all the destruction now.”
Before Link could answer, one of the ropes snapped, and the dragon lunged forward, stretching the other ropes to the breaking point. Bishop turned and pulled his red glowing sword and raised his black shield.
Rook turned and rushed forward towards the Knight to stop him, leaving Link with the egg, which he almost dropped completely.
“You fool, he will break free!” Bishop yelled, swinging his sword and knocking the Goron away. The rocky skin of the young creature chipped and the Goron let out a cry.
Link set down the egg just as the last ropes broke free and the dragon lowered its head, looking at the three with its large, yellow eyes. The Dragon roared, shaking the entire cavern, and thrust forward, swinging its enormous wings about.
The dragon shot a fireball at Bishop, which the Knight barely managed to avoid by jumping away and covering himself with his shield.
Link turned to move the egg, but before he could, the dragon picked it up with its talons and placed it in the nest with the others. The dragon’s spiky tail swung across the floor and slammed into Link, tossing him through the air and into the nearby boulders.
“You see, you fool, the dragons care not for us!” Bishop yelled as he pulled his pulled his spear out and readied it to charge.
“You will never know, if you kill it!” Rook yelled, rolling forward as he tucked into a ball. The huge boulder of a creature slammed into Bishop’s shield, though the Knight rolled with the impact and barely felt anything. He swung around and readied his spear to hit the Goron with it, but a chain wrapped around his ankles.
Bishop looked down at the chains that had wrapped around, then followed them to their source, a small hookshot held by Link. “You’ll not hurt the dragon, Bishop!” Link cried, yanking on the hookshot.
The chains snapped the Knight to the ground and thrust him towards the Hylian at an incredible speed. However, before the Knight reached Link, the dragon thrust forward and stomped down on the chain, snapping it in two.
“No!” Rook cried as the dragon turned and looked down at the black knight. The scales behind its wing-like ears began to swell up as they did when it was about to fire, and the dragon slowly opened its mouth.
Link shot forward, leaping off the dragon’s foot and landing in between Bishop and the Dragon, his shield raised.
The dragon’s flames blasted down onto the two warriors, seemingly engulfing the two in flames. When the fires stopped, Link jumped away, carrying Bishop’s unconscious body. The dragon stepped forward, firing a shot of fire, but Link dodged it. Again, and again, the dragon chased the two around the plateau.
Link was out of ideas as the dragon darted around the two, moving like a fast snake, almost trapping the two. Suddenly, a chain shot out across the path, and Link barely avoided tripping on it. Rook had fired the hookshot into the boulders, and though Link had avoided it, the dragon did not.
The Dragon’s feet caught the chain, and it’s massive head slammed down on the ground, its body rolling over, causing the very earth to shake and tremble.
Link fell to the ground with the quakes, losing hold of Bishop’s body. When Link looked up, however, Bishop struck him hard across his face with the butt of his spear.
“Now!” the Knight shouted into the air.
A net shot down from the mouth of the cave and encompassed the massive dragon, and keeping it pinned to the ground, the edges of the netting pinned in the rocks.
The Knight jumped to the air, his cloak waving behind him as he leapt to the top of the soft underbelly of the dragon, and thrust his spear deep into the beast.
Rook, tears at the corner of his eyes helped Link to his feet. “No…I…how could he?”
Link looked up at the Knight and wiped away the blood on his lip with his sleeve. “You fool!” Link screamed. “Will you now protect these lands? Will you be the one who keeps evils from taking control?”
The Knight looked down and laughed. “You are so naïve, young Link,” Bishop answered. “Do you really think anything besides man has the power to protect the lands? Do you honestly believe something like a dragon could possibly keep evil away?”
“I believe something as small as a tree has the power to protect a people,” Link answered. “But when they don’t respect…when they don’t honor that which protects them, then evil finds its way to their hearts.”
“That’s nothing more than rubbish,” Bishop answered.
“Surely, a warrior such as yourself knows that only a people willing to fight deserve freedom from evil?” a soft voice called from the distance. A girl, not much younger than Link walked forward from the light of the lava to the bright sunlight above. Her hair was purple, matching her caring eyes, and her soft yellow cloak hid well the harsh armor she wore underneath.
“Do you really believe that destroying this dragon will free the people from the evils of this land, Sakura?” Link asked.
“Maybe it is cynical to believe so, but yes,” Sakura answered. “Now, they will, if they must, fight for themselves, and only then will evil truly be defeated.”
“My Squire is often hopeful, and naïve, like yourself,” Bishop interrupted. “But, she is always helpful in a pinch.”
“What will we do, now, Link?” Rook asked, looking carefully at the young man.
“I’m afraid there is nothing we can do,” Link answered, biting his lip hard. The scowl across his face was enough to send the fiercest of warriors hiding. “They’ve committed crimes against nature, not crimes of humanity. They will answer in nature’s own way.”
“We will answer, my young friend by being rich from the teeth and hide of this beast!” Bishop laughed. “We will answer by having our names sung in the hills far away as great heroes. We will answer…by living!”
“Why do you yearn to live?” a voice called out. “Knowing that Death is inevitable?”
Link turned away from the body of the dragon and looked up to a bright green glowing woman, floating in the air at the mouth of the volcano.
“Farore?” Link asked, shielding his eyes from the bright green light.
Bishop quickly spun around and pulled out his bow, firing an arrow quickly at the goddess floating in the air. The arrow passed through her as though she wasn’t even there.
“The hero of time, lost in the world you have become,” Farore continued. “Lost in spirit and lost in thought. I ask again, why do you yearn to live, knowing that death is inevitable?”
Link looked at Rook, who shrugged. “I know not the answer,” the goron whispered.
“I…I don’t know,” Link answered. “I’ve never really thought about it. You…you gave us life…don’t you know?”
The goddess smiled. “You simply wander from land to land. You know not why you do what you do, but you know you must help those in trouble. What if, we have wondered, the source of evil in the world were he who chooses to rid the world of evil?”
“What?” Link asked. “I…I don’t understand.”
“What if…you, the Hero of Time, were the source of the evil that plagues our lands?” Farore asked. “Would your own life hold value?”
“Why are you asking?” Rook yelled. “What do you want with us?”
Farore floated down until she was almost face to face with Link, the others looking on with fear. “A price must be paid for all that was done, Hero of Time,” Farore said. “Hyrule will see evil and destruction unlike any that Gannon could ever produce. Time is not an element to be trifled with.”
“Why?” Link asked. “We only tried to stop Gannon from destroying all we held dear. We were trying to stop evil.”
“At any cost?” Farore asked. “Time has become forever entangled. Evils that once bothered none now roam the world, searching out civilizations to destroy. Now, it is time to take back the gifts we goddesses have given to you, before all is lost. If you wish to stop it all, then you will find yourself at war with us. You will become, yourselves, entities of evil.”
Link lowered his sword and shield, speechless.
Farore, smiling, floated away and vanished in a bright flash of light.
“Link?” Rook asked, looking at his friend. “Link, what is she talking about? What are you going to do?”
Link looked to his friend. “Because of me?” he asked. “Because of us? I…I must go…to…to Hyrule.”
“What of the dragon?” Rook asked. “Who will protect us, now?”
Link looked to his friend. “I don’t know, Rook. You will have to fight, for now, I am needed elsewhere, I think. I am sorry, but…if I understand Farore right, there may not be much time, and if I stay here, then all will be lost anyway.”
“Link?” Sakura asked, looking down at the Hylian. “What was that? What is going on?”
Link didn’t answer. He reached down to his pouch and pulled out a blue instrument. He looked up to the skies, searching his memory for old songs few remembered. Slowly, he brought the ocarina up to his mouth and played the notes carefully.
Gold sparkles of magic began to circle around the young elf as his body was swept up and carried away from the Volcano.
“Link?” Sakura called out. “Where has he gone, Rook?”
“Far away, I think,” Rook called out with his gurgling voice. “What shall we do, now?”
“Now,” Bishop laughed. “Now, we shall enjoy the money that comes from this dragon, then we will go to this… this Hyrule place. There, we can continue to be the heroes we are. We should be treated like the gods if we stop this ‘end of the world,’ nonsense.”
Bishop turned and began working on the dragon’s hide as the young Goron began to roll away, tears in his eyes, toward his home. Sakura continued to look up to the blue sky above, unsure what was passing through her mind, and unsure what was to come.
~ ~ ~
Hyrule
“How is she?” the man cried. “Is she alright? Did everything go okay?”
The midwife was flushed, the look of shock spread across her face. Her cheeks were blushed, and sweat rolled down the side of her face. “Where is the Priest?” she asked, looking at the father.
“The Priest?” the man asked. “Why do we need the Priest? Is my baby going to be okay? What is wrong? It’s not going to be some sort of demon, is it?”
The midwife wiped the sweat from her forehead and sat down. “Your wife gave birth to a beautiful baby girl, Koine,” she answered. “No, it is not some sort of demon. On the contrary, she’s an angel. Though…I fear what her birth may mean.”
“What?” Koine asked. “Can I see her?”
“Yes, go,” the midwife answered. Koine rushed past and joined his wife and newborn daughter in the bedroom. “You,” she said to the man standing at the door. “You’re Koine’s brother, correct? Go to the priest at the chapel in the castle. Tell him about your niece. Tell him she was born with Red hair, and has the mark. The mark of the Triforce on her arm.”
“The mark of the Triforce?” the brother asked. “Wh…why? What does this mean?”
“It means she’s the one,” the midwife answered. “It means the greatest wars of all are about to begin.”
5/5/2002 8:04:25 PM
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