Truth to Every Story - Pre/Post Twilight Princess

When Rusl was young, he and the other children of the village often gathered to listen to the old mayor's stories. The elder had heard tales from all over Hyrule, for in his youth, he had traversed the land in search of adventure.

However, the one that Rusl had been the most interested in was the tale of the Hero's Shade.

"Long ago," the mayor would always begin, "A young swordsman was called by destiny to save Hyrule. They say that he drew the legendary Master Sword and used it to fight off the evil - he was successful.

"However," the mayor would continue, "The Princess of Destiny sought to prevent the darkness in the first place. She sent the hero back in time, to his childhood. They say that in her later years, she began to remember the other timeline, and recorded in her diary that felt guilty for stealing seven years of his life. No one is certain of what that meant.

"So he went back through time, and succeeded once again," the mayor's face would always darken at this point, grave and dark. "But he was then in a world that didn't remember him, or the things he had done for it. But he still helped where he could, enlisting in the army and quickly becoming a general."

Here, the mayor would always pause. "He was alone in his pain - his wife knew, but couldn't understand. No one could.

"One day, he led his troops into battle. He fought valiantly, only to die - they say his final resting place was in these very woods. However, due to his regret, his spirit remained, taking on the form of a golden wolf, stalking the forest of his demise."

Here, the children would always shiver fearfully at the thought of a ghost there, in their own backyards.

"But Mr. Mayor," a young Rusl had once asked, "What would moping around do to help? My mama said that you should just move on."

The mayor had smiled sadly. "Sometimes," he had said, "that's harder than you'd think. Now can I continue the story?"

"Sorry, Sir," the young Rusl had mumbled, bowing his head in shame.

The mayor had waved it off and continued the story. "Some say that the 'spirit' is no more than an imprint of his memories, there to find his reincarnation and teach him not to make the same mistakes again. Some say he waits for his descendant, to teach him not to make the same mistakes as he. Some say that both instances are true. No one really knows for sure. Sometimes, though, the Hero's Shade helps those foolish as I."

The mayor would always tell anyone willing to listen another tale - one that happened to him. He had been lost in the Lost Woods of Faron - aptly named, for the forest paths were winding. Most who entered did not come out.

"I had been a very reckless young man," the mayor had said. "I entered the Lost Woods. I quickly found myself lost - it felt as though the forest was draining my very life force. But then I saw it - the golden wolf itself. The Hero's Shade, in all of its glory. It led me out of the woods to safety, speaking only one word before it vanished - 'Remember.'"

The young Rusl had been so impressed - as had all the other young ones. But now that he was older, newly married and a part-time Hyrulean soldier, he knew the mayor's stories to be just that - stories. No more, no less.

Nonetheless, that night, he had experienced a strange dream. He had been in the forest, fog enshrouding his surroundings. There, before him, had stood a luminous golden beast, one eye pale and blind, the other crimson as blood.

"Remember," had said a deep voice from inside of his mind, sending shivers down his spine. "Remember, and care for him well."

When Rusl awoke, he thought nothing of it - it was a strange dream, nothing more. So he dragged himself out of bed. Today, he was heading back to the castle for the next few weeks. Though Uli, his loving wife, would much rather he stay in town all the time, she could not deny his need to do more.

"Just come back safe and uninjured, okay?" she would say. "I don't want to have to stitch up your clothes again."

Rusl rolled his eyes at that memory as he patted the neck of his steed. The horse was one of the best that the legendary Lon Lon Ranch had to offer. It was not the very best, however - that title was held by the line called "Eponers," named after the first of the line. That particular breed, however, was fiery and wild, only capable of being ridden by the Lon Lon family themselves.

Captain was, despite those truths, the best horse Rusl could've asked for. He was obedient and loyal to the point of fault.

The woods were darker than usual today. Strange. Perhaps he was still getting used to the green overhead after the long winter they'd had?

Yes, Rusl decided. That's all.

Rusl had been traveling for hours when he heard someone cry out. Ever the "heroic knight in shining armor," as his wife would tease him, he couldn't help but investigate.

He dismounted Captain, giving the horse the command to stay put. The sound had come from somewhere off the path, and though going off the path could be dangerous, it wasn't the Lost Woods. He'd be fine.

As he pushed his way through the underbrush, he caught a flicker of gold out of the corner of his eye. He immediately turned his head towards it.

Nothing. Strange. Perhaps it was merely a trick of the-

A whimper came from just through those bushes. Whoever had cried out was there.

Rusl drew his sword and carefully made his way to the bushes, cutting his way through the thick bushes.

There, he was met with a scene he wouldn't forget anytime soon.

A young chestnut colored mare was entangled in the thorny brush. Beside her, a young boy was using a small dagger to carefully slice the mare's restraints.

"Stay calm... Epona," the boy breathed. "I don't want to... hurt you."

The boy couldn't have been any older than nine or ten. His blue eyes were dull and unfocused, His hair was full of dirt and twigs, his clothes ragged and torn. He didn't even seem to notice the thorny coils in his own legs.

Rusl tried to approach quietly, but ended up stepping on a twig, jerking the boy's head towards him.

"Thank Hylia," the boy mumbled. "I thought you were another... bulbin."

"Bulbin?" Rusl echoed. He had only heard that word in stories.

"Yeah," the boy mumbled, going back to the vines on his horse. One of the legs snapped free.

"...Why would I be a bulbin?" Rusl asked the boy, confused.

"They've been... hunting me," the boy said, his voice shaky. "They don't like... the forest, though."

Rusl was unsure of what to think. Was this boy playing some sort of extensive pretend game? Was he insane? "Where are your parents?" Rusl asked.

"Dead," the boy croaked. "Bul-bulbins killed them. Burned down… Lon Lon…"

Rusl just grew more and more confused. "Lon Lon Ranch is gone? And you were there?"

"I lived there," the boy mumbled, his voice becoming woozy. "You look… like a warrior. Would you say that blood loss is bad for… thought process?

"I don't think so," Rusl said. "Just head injuries."

"Oh…" the boy muttered. He turned to Rusl and lifted his bangs, revealing huge bloody gash, full of dirt, and a swollen bump of skin just a bit away from it. "Does this… be head injury?"

"Oh dear Faron," Rusl breathed. "I'll get you back to the village. My wife is trained in first aid."

"That…'s nice." The knife slipped from the boy's fingers, and the mare tugged herself free of her thorny shackles. Despite her newly regained freedom, she nudged the boy with a quiet nicker. "I miss… Ma… Ma… mangos…"

Then the boy fell over, passing out.

Rusl gasped and rushed forward, scooping up the boy's knife and cutting him loose. It was incredible he had made it as far as he had - Lon Lon was halfway to the castle. That was half a day away on horseback.

How did he not pass out until just now?

Then Rusl saw another flash of gold out of the corner of his eye, drawing his eyes to it.

A golden wolf, staring at him with a single crimson eye.

"Care for him well," whispered a chilling voice in the back of his mind. "Do not forget. Go, and do not falter."

Rusl blinked, and the wolf was gone.

Well… he thought silently, I suppose there is truth to every story.

Many years passed before Rusl truly understood what had happened that day. When Link, the boy whom Rusl had saved, grew to become the Hero Chosen by the Gods, he realized the whole truth.

It been the day that a leather bound book had arrived, written by Link himself. It gave extensive detail on what had happened on his journey. Rusl had been excited to read something from his adopted son, whom he had not seen in months.

He had been shocked at the preposterous seeming events. Transforming into a wolf? Racing yetis on sleds? Battling massive beasts? Traveling to an island in the sky?

But Rusl believed every word of it. Link was not one to lie, honest and humble as one could be. Rusl was surprised he even wrote all of his achievements down.

But it was when he got to a certain point in the journal that he understood.

"I think now is the time to tell you about the Hero's Shade. I first met him in Faron, my home province. After buying some supplies from Coro, I had been making my way to the Forest Temple. But mere feet from the salesman, I found myself face to face with a golden wolf - you should've seen the look on my face, I'm sure it was priceless.

"Rusl had told me stories about this wolf when I was younger - that it led him to me. I don't remember anything from back then - Rusl says that it's either because of trauma or the head injury I had. For all I know, the wolf led me to Ordon.

"Ah, but there I go, getting sidetracked, as always. Midna always got mad at me for that, you know. Anyway, the wolf leapt at me. I drew my sword, but suddenly I found myself in a strange realm. Before my eyes, the wolf became a skeletal warrior.

"Before I knew it, he had drawn his sword and leapt at me. I did my best to fight back… but he quickly had me knocked on my back. Some hero I am, huh?

"The next words he said to me are words that I will forever remember. 'A sword wields no strength unless the hand that holds it has courage.' Then he roasted me pretty hard, saying I wasn't worthy of the tunic I wore, that the world was going to end because of me, the like.

"He taught me special skills. The more I trained, the more approval he gave me. Later, he actually addressed me as 'son.' When it came time to defeat Ganondorf, he taught me the final skill. 'Although I accepted life as the hero,' he told me after I had successfully performed it, 'I could not convey the lessons of that life to those who came after. At last, I have eased my regrets.'

"He made me promise to pass on my knowledge and skills. That's why, as of now, I spend my time training the knights. It's also why I wrote this record in the first place. He taught me in ways that I never thought I would learn.

"I remember his final words before he faded into the afterlife… or wherever he went. Who knows for sure? He said to me, 'Go, and do not falter, my child!'

"I would be a pretty crappy student if I didn't do as my teacher wished, so here I am. If you can see this, Gramps, I hope you're proud."

Rusl smiled and set the book down. Yes, he thought. There is truth to every story.

Happy Memorial Day! Oh wait, Memorial Day is a US only holiday... um, well, then I guess everyone else just gets a nice oneshot for no particular reason.

Review if you'd like! Actually, please, please review. I'm lonely!

Sincerely (gotta be sincere on Memorial Day, right?),

Ari~