Welcome to chapter seven! I am not sure how much longer I will continue the body-switching antics, because the story will eventually become more of an adventure, although I will try to still have some humorous portions, as well. Thank you to my reviewers from last chapter- Leigh; Sakurelle; and maximushyrule.
Please note: This story, if you haven't yet figured it out, is based on ALttP. I did this partially because An Unlikely Hero was based on AoL, and partially because I am more familiar with that game's storyline than with that of the games following it (up until MC, that is). As a result, some of this will sound like a novelization of the game, though with obvious differences, such as Link and Zelda being like the ones in AoL, as opposed to the blondish, childlike ones in ALttP. In addition, they will go on the quest together, at least for part of the time. Just please keep that in mind, and if you have any questions, feel free to ask me, whether through a review or a PM.
But enough rambling. On with the story!
Disclaimer: I do not own any aspect of the Legend of Zelda series.
Link widened Zelda's eyes. He remembered being told about the Master Sword and the Golden Land as a child, but somehow he knew this time would be different. He leaned in closer to Impa and listened carefully as she spoke.
"When Hyrule was created, the three goddesses- Din, Farore, and Nayru- also created another land that contained a symbol of their power. This symbol is the Triforce, designed to represent their trifecta- courage, wisdom, and power. It was placed in the land where it could protect Hyrule while being protected itself. Because the Triforce was also referred to as the Golden Power, this land came to be known as the Golden Land.
"But ever since the creation of beings, many have aimed to claim the Triforce for themselves. Anyone possessing the Triforce will be omniscient, omnipotent, and, through his or her followers, omnipresent. This in itself is enough to motivate the power-hungry to sojourn to the Golden Land and seek the Triforce.
"One day many years ago, a legendary thief, whom we now know as Ganon, entered the Golden Land and somehow managed to get his hands on the Triforce. Since he became the first mortal to touch it, his wish was granted. He wished for a land that paralleled Hyrule, of which he would be supreme leader, hoping to eventually take over the kingdom as well. Thus the Golden Land morphed into what it now is today- a parallel of Hyrule.
"However, the dichotomy of good and evil reigned supreme, meaning that the Golden Land became like a reflection of Hyrule, but cast in a dark mirror. The land for which Ganon wished reflected his true self- cruel and avaricious.
"Once Ganon's desire began to come to fruition, beings of unimaginable evil began to escape from the Golden Land and invade Hyrule. This led to much devastation, with the effects lingering today. Disasters of both the natural and man-made kind took over the kingdom- flooding, fires, famine, and war.
"Then, out of nowhere, Agahnim appeared. No one knew from whence he came, but felt it improper to question him, as he began to aid Hyrule. He stopped the heavy rains and put out the fires, allowing crops to grow and animals to reproduce. Once the food supply returned, the famine ended, and so did the war amongst the many peoples of Hyrule.
"But even with the rebuilding of Hyrule, all was not well. The evil flowing from the Golden Land prompted the king to gather the seven wise men, commanding them to seal the entrance to the Golden Land to prevent the people of Hyrule from entering, and to prevent those already in the land from leaving. When the wise men placed the seal, many Hylians that had sought the Golden Power became trapped in the Golden Land, taking the form of plants and animals. This upset many people, and the only reassurance was that the seal prevented more evil from pouring into Hyrule. Eventually, there was the collective realization that those stuck in the Golden Land were not trapped just by the seal, but by the greed in their hearts. Thus they have been long since forgotten. The reconstruction of Hyrule continued.
"But the evil that swept the land was never forgotten. Legend has it that there is a way to break the seal and get to the Triforce, and people have come from distant lands in a futile attempt to do so. Only the royal family and the descendants of the wise men know how to re-open the entrance to the Golden Land. And the day has come for me to tell you, Sir Link. I honestly hoped it wouldn't, but you must know the way."
Impa stopped talking just long enough to set a scroll on the table. She untied the string around it and unrolled it across the table, motioning for Link to move next to her. She instructed him to look at the scroll, and came to realize that it was a map of Hyrule. But it was much more detailed than any he had ever seen. It even outlined all the houses and other buildings in Kakariko, one of which was marked with a red "X." As Link continued to study the map, Impa finished telling him the legend.
"The seven wise men have all passed on since placing the seal. However, the story passed down is that their descendants can be used to break the seal. Anyone wishing to re-open the entrance to the Golden Land must eliminate each of the seven maidens descending from the wise men by imprisoning them in crystals. Once they are so imprisoned, only then will the seal be broken.
"Unfortunately, Princess Zelda is one of the seven descendants needed to break the seal. The vision she had is one of the maidens being summoned to the castle to be imprisoned. As the royal advisor, Agahnim must have discovered the legend.
"If Agahnim does indeed try to trap the maidens, he will surely succeed. Therefore, you must seek out the other part of the legend- the Master Sword. It is said that the weapon is the sword of evil's bane. It's mystical power holds the key to defeating anyone attempting to break the seal to the Golden Land.
"As it stands, Sir Link, I tell you this story because you are the only one that can stop Agahnim. I will help prepare you for the long and arduous journey ahead. Once you are ready, your first stop will be to the place marked on this map. It is the home of Sahasrahla the Elder. He is the only one outside of the descendants and the royal family that knows the legend, as he was once employed in the castle. He can tell you more of the legend, and of what you must do."
After checking on the princess, Impa bid good-bye to Link and hurried off to start making arrangements. Link arose from the table and crawled into bed next to his wife. Laying back against the pillows, he stared up at the ceiling as everything began to sink in. Then something occurred to him, a fact that must have been lost on Impa in her concern. He was still in Zelda's body.
How would he ever make the journey trapped in her body? He couldn't very well be out exploring the kingdom with Agahnim thinking he was Zelda and trying to trap him. By the same token, Zelda couldn't remain in the castle in his body during that time. What was he going to do?
It seemed there was only one thing to do- reverse the spell. Again. But there were two problems with that. For one thing, when they'd kissed earlier, it hadn't reversed the spell, unlike the first time they'd kissed, meaning they'd have to do more to switch back. For another thing, he didn't want to leave Zelda in the castle with Aghanim while he went all about Hyrule. Not with Agahnim trying to imprison her. Either he had to stay in her body, or bring her with him on his journey, whether they switched back or not.
As Link looked at his sleeping form, hoping that Zelda indeed wasn't dreaming, he drew a deep breath. He made up his mind at that moment. He had to take his wife with him, at least until he could find a safe place for her to hide. He felt he could protect her best by bringing her along, regardless of whether they first succeeded in breaking the spell.
Link slipped into Zelda's heels and walked out of the room as quietly as possible, closing the door softly. He went to find Impa to consult with her, to help convince himself that bringing Zelda along was the right decision. He contemplated whether the king should be alerted that his daughter and son-in-law were in each other's bodies. He quickly realized that it was best not to say anything, for informing the king may end up leading to Agahnim finding out as well.
Link found Impa in the library, searching through a low shelf of books. She heard him come in and turned around, then went to the door to meet him and thrust the book she was holding into Zelda's hand.
"Here is a bestiary of all the creatures you may chance to meet on your journey, whether they be denizens of Hyrule or of the Golden Land. I suggest you study it and study it well, Sir Link. Familiarizing yourself with it will prove invaluable in your quest."
Link began to flip through the book as Impa continued to speak. "You will find that the enemies in much of Hyrule are relatively harmless and quite simple to defeat. Unfortunately, the same cannot be said of the evil creatures lurking in the Golden Land. The forces there were created as a result of Ganon's cruel wish, and each of them possesses a portion of the evil he scattered throughout the land when first he placed his hands on the Triforce. They not only take several strikes to defeat, but some of them can only be eliminated with the use of weapons hidden in some of the most dangerous and well-protected places.
"In addition, coming in contact with them, whether through bumping into them or through their various attacks, will injure you significantly. And that's just the typical enemies. That does not even begin to account for the ones you'll find in dungeons."
As Link continued looking through the book, Impa returned to the shelf to continue her search. She pulled out two more books and set them on the table at which Link was now seated in Zelda's body. One was on the history of Hyrule and included several pages on the Golden Land and the Triforce, while the other was a massive tome with a green cover that looked like a dictionary.
"Keep these two volumes with you at all times," Impa instructed. "Sahasrahla will give you more information, but should you have any questions about Hyrule in general, you can refer to this book," she explained, gesturing towards the history book.
She then turned her attention to the other book. "And this is a very special volume, handed down through the royal family for years. It is known as the Book of Mudora, and contains translations for virtually every dialect of our language within the last few centuries, particularly Hylian. You will require it in order to interpret the many ancient writings present throughout the land. Including the very pedestal that holds the Master Sword itself."
Impa could tell from the expression in Zelda's eyes that Link was quite troubled. "Come now, Sir Link, whatever is the problem?" she inquired.
"Honestly, this whole journey. As you know, I have no intention of shirking my duties, but I fear for Zelda's safety. And my own as well, for that matter. Not that I doubt my skills, but I am still in her body, after all."
Impa gasped, putting her hand to her mouth. "Oh, my, how could I have been so foolish as to overlook that? You must break the spell, Sir Link."
"Actually, I was thinking along the lines of something else," Link confessed.
"And what would that be?"
"Well, I feel that, provided Agahnim doesn't find out the secret, Zelda is safer in my body. However, regardless of what happens, I must take my wife with me. As of right now, she certainly cannot traverse the kingdom in my body. It is entirely too risky. Meanwhile, I cannot go out on my quest in her body. And even if we succeed in switching back, we must still stick with each other, so that I may protect her."
Impa raised her eyebrows and opened her mouth to object, only to find she was speechless. "You have a valid point, Sir Link. I need not ask you to promise to take care of the princess, as I know you will. However, I do request that you please make an attempt to reverse the spell, so that you may fight in your own body."
"I'll get to work on it right now," Link answered, jumping up. He thanked the kindly old woman for her help before quickly walking back to his and Zelda's room to read through the spell book. As Impa heard Zelda's heels clicking on the floor due to Link's somewhat heavy steps, she began a silent prayer for the young couple's safety.
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