Silent Courage

Gery: This is just a small disclaimer, this is about three years old and this was made when I was just starting to really write. I apologize in advance for the poor grammar and/or spelling. Enjoy!

Cover image created by Beiipaws on DeviantART

Prologue: The Warning

“Sir Link, there are some Kargaroks in the field,” a guard tells me as I pass him in the castle corridor. I simply nod with an inward sigh before starting to go.

“Sir Link!” a lady in a ruffled dress walks by. It's so large, making it look hard to walk, and it takes all my strength not to laugh. “Oh there you are, my boy. Could you deliver this to Telma?” she asks and hands me a letter. I nod and she leaves before I can blink.

I shake my head and sigh as I come into Zelda’s throne room. I bow respectfully on one knee and lower my head. “Good day, Link,” Zelda says as I rise with a scowl on my face. “What? Have a bad day?” she asks with a giggle. I nod with a frown, making her burst into laughter. “Probably better than me, I have to go to three more council meetings before lunch and you need to come to one of them.”

I look at my feet with a sigh, get ready for a boring meeting. Zelda laughs. “Come on, Link, they aren’t that bad. At least you don’t have to pay attention…that much,” she added as an afterthought.

“Princess Zelda, Sir Link, the meeting is ready,” a runner boy comes in, bows and leaves with one breath.

“Are you okay?” Zelda asks me while we walk. “You’re very quiet today.” I mock-glare at her, but her she remains serious. “You aren’t being very responsive and you’re not even communicating with me. What’s wrong?”

I think about it for a few seconds before nodding. ‘Stressed,’ I sigh. ‘A lot has happened in the past two months and it only feels like two days.’

“Everything will sort out, Link,” Zelda tells me. “In the meantime, we need to focus on rebuilding the monarchy.”

‘I hate politics,’ I mind-grumble, making Zelda laugh.

“Really? I haven’t noticed,” she giggles. I give her a small smile as we come in and sit in the large circle room, her face now showing no emotion. She gestures towards the Head Council for him to start.

“As you know…” I lose interest right there and then. I look around the room in boredom and see many trying to stifle yawns. I look at everyone, there is Matthew Colven, who is the Head Council member, he has a long brown-going-grey beard and sort trimmed blading brown hair, his grey eyes survey everyone as they speak.

Then there is Alexander Jonny, he’s the Chancellor’s son-in-law and has black hair and brown eyes. We lock eyes and scowl at each other, we hate one another with a passion and that is not a secret. He keeps trying to get Zelda to marry him and accuses me of courting the Princess. The coal headed idiot.

After that is his brother, Adam Jonny. Instead of black hair he has red but still has the brown eyes. Despite Alex’s and mine loathing of one another, Adam is a close friend to me. Only he, Zelda, Midna and my village know my secret.

After my friend is a cranky old man named Jack. He doesn’t seem to like anybody and is always smoking on a pipe. He has no hair and a thick salt and pepper beard and he looks older than 100 years old in my opinion, but he is really only 87. He has white, colourless eyes that don’t miss anything.

After Keese-Crap Crazy Jack (me and Adam call him that) is a young Gerudo woman named Nura. She and I didn’t like each other for a while, but after I saved her from a pack of Wolfos, we became friends. But I haven’t told her my secret yet. I plan to though.

The last one is a middle aged woman named Penelope. She has a good heart, but get on her bad side and prepare for a world of hurt. She has blonde hair and green eyes that can’t hide a thing.

I've known these people for some time, but I don't feel comfortable in this big a group.

“…What do you think, Sir Link?” the Chancellor’s voice brings me back. I just shrug my shoulders sheepishly. “You weren’t listening were you?” he asks. I shake my head. “Do you think that we should build more villages or ranches?”

I think about it. The only villages I know of are Ordon and Kakariko, and the only ranch is Lon-Lon. There are no others than that. I nod. “You need to start paying attention boy!” Keese-Crap Crazy Jack snaps at me. “I don’t like people repeating themselves!”

“Yeah, if you can’t talk you might as well listen!” Alex sneers. If looks could kill, he should, by all rights, be dead seven times over.

“Alex,” the Chancellor warns his first son-in-law. “Unneeded comments like that are what got you in here.”

“It’s the truth!” the boy defends himself. “If Mr. Mute Hero over there doesn’t listen then why have him in the council?”

“He was called to this meeting,” Zelda says.

‘Unfortunately,’ I think.

“May we move on to other matters?” Penelope asks. Ah good ol’ Penelope, always trying to be the peacemaker.

“Hey, Linky,” Adam whispers from my other side. I glare at him for the nickname, but he ignores it. “Wanna throw eggs at rich, snobby girls after this?” he asks. I smirk and nod as the meeting goes on.

After another half hour of that load of goat, me and Adam sneak out of the castle and over the rooftops before coming to the snobby rich-girl district. How do I know their snobs? Me and Adam got tangled in one of their conversation. Let me tell you my brain hurt after talking to them. “You think anybody figured it out yet?” Adam asks as he hits a brown haired bimbo in the butt.

‘Pervert,’ I think as I shrug and throw an egg at the head of a redheaded idiot, hitting her dead on.

“Cheater,” Adam whispers. I raise an eyebrow at him. “You’ve got more target practice than me,” he says. I smirk and stick out my tongue before hitting some girl in the face. “Sorry ‘bout Alex earlier. You know how he is.”

I roll my eyes. ‘I’d like to hit him with an egg,’ I think but shrug.

“Why do you hate each other again?” he asks. I just look at him blankly. “Oh right, the whole 'first impressions' thing. Won't he ever get over it?”

Twenty-five eggs and girls-screming-their-heads-off-and-running-around-like-headless-Cuccos later, we are lying on top of the castle roof and are stargazing. “Ever wonder what those are?” Adam asks in a dreamy sort of voice. I nod slowly. I have always liked stars, I don’t know why.

Then we spot a shooting star. “Hey Linky, look,” he says in awe. I stare at the star, ignoring the stinking nickname he gives me, and smile. “We gotta make a wish!”

I close my eyes and think. But there isn’t much I want. I have a good life (well, good enough anyways), great friends, I've saved Hyrule. The only thing that I am sad about is Midna, but I know she had to make order in the Twilight Realm. I open my eyes and just watch the stars, I don’t want anything to change.

After it leaves, Adam looks at me. “Wish for anything?” I shake my head. “Why not? You could have asked for a voice,” he says. I just shrug. I don't want a voice, not after all these years. Plus it reminds everybody that I am still human-or Hylian- and that, even though I am a Hero and saved Hyrule, I’m not perfect.

Or, in the alternate setting, it makes them frustrated playing charades.

Adam seems to guess what I am thinking, because he says, “I like how you accept your life, Linky. But in all honesty, I feel a little bad for you.” I look at him curiously, wondering why he’d say that. “You went through so much and how do we repay you? By making you do tasks that are simple and easy.”

I sigh, how can I get him to understand that I don’t care? I like helping people, whether it’s a big or small task. “Well, let’s go. My dad’ll be wondering where I am,” he says and leaves with me not too long after.

I come to my rooms and sigh as I fall on my bed. I have felt so tiered recently and I don’t even know why.

__________

“Link….open your eyes,” a distant voice calls through the cloudy mist behind my eyes.

‘Huh?’ I think as I do as the voice commands. I look around to find I am in a strange place, darkness all around me with small islands of light in random places. I look at my feet to see I am standing on one of these islands, with six different coloured circles surrounding me. One is green, another red, third a blue, fourth a dark purple, the fifth one is orange and the last is yellow, with someone standing on it.

I narrow my eyes at the stranger. He has a white and black robe on, a full head of snow white hair and deep, sea blue eyes that look familiar. He cracks a smile at me. “So, you are the Hero of Twilight…or should I say Heroine of Twilight?” he chuckles.

‘Say whatever you want,’ I think.

“You know you can speak here right?” he crosses his arms.

“I can?” I ask, my voice faint, quiet and scratchy. “Weird.” Especially since I just got through telling one of my friends I don't wanna talk.

“You wish to know who I am, don’t you?” he asks. I nod. “I’m Link, the Hero of Time.”

My jaw drops.

“Say what?” I ask, still not used to this voice.

“I’m the Hero of Time. Ironic how we have the same name, eh?” he asks with a laugh.

“But, if you’re the Hero of Time…then you’re reeeeeallly old,” I say. “Oh wait did I say that? Sorry,” I rub the back of my head sheepishly.

“No worries. And yes, compared to you I am very old.” Good to know the Hero of Time had a sense of humour. “Do you know where you are?”

“A dark place with floating lights everywhere.”

“You’re in the Sacred Realm.”

“I’m dead?” Wow, how can I say that so casually? I look around the Realm. Something about it gives me a calm feeling.

“No, I had to summon you. I have a warning.”

My eyes widen. What?

“Something is coming. It will take over Hyrule much like the Twilight did. Now I have a request. There are six Sages in Hyrule, and I want you to find and awaken them. I am the sixth, so you only have five to find. They will not know they are Sages, either, until, well, you'll see.”

“But aren’t they guarding the Mirror?”

“Those are different Sages; their only purpose is to guard the Mirror. The Sages I want you to look for are all over Hyrule. They are in the Lost Woods, in Death Mountain, at Zora’s Domain, in Gerudo Valley and the last is one of the Sheikah.”

“Question,” I put my hand in the air. “Who would I be looking for in the Lost Woods? I seriously doubt that it’s Skullkid. And the Gerudo would probably hate me since I killed their ‘king.’ And lastly, no one knows if the Sheikah are even alive, much less where they are.”

“In that order: Kokiri. No it’s not Skullkid. Don't worry about the Gerudo, not many of them liked Ganondork anyway (so that's where I get that insult from...). Just look for someone of that blood.”

“Kokiri? But I thought they were extinct.”

“No, they’re alive. And they are hiding in the Lost Woods. It would be easiest to go there first. But before you go, I need to give you my power,” he says and seconds later a yellow medallion floats above me and when I take it, it flashes for a second and melts into my skin. I have to say, it freaks me out a good amount. “Good luck,” he says before everything fades.