Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Sore. That was all Link felt as he rode on Epona around the large plateau that was the home of Lon Lon Ranch, his shield resting heavily on his back as the moon shined full overhead. It had been several months since his adventures in Termina, and since that time he had gained a lot of experience during his time within the Lost Woods, eventually leaving with the aid of a fairy he had found shortly after his adventure in Termina. Right now, however, he had been trying to find something to do in living his life. He had initially wanted to join the Hylian soldiers, and even went to enlist with them, but they laughed when they saw that he was still only eleven, making him have to go and try to find a place to actually stay at. He had lived one final year in the Kokiri Forest, staying in his old home with Saria and the other Kokiri before he finally left the village, now spending his time traveling the land and dealing with the monsters that appeared. With how it looked, however, it seemed he would need to return to the Kokiri and stay for a while longer, at least until he'd be old enough to work in Hyrule…

As he made his way towards Lake Hylia to rest, he heard a large flapping overhead, causing him to look up to find a black mass zoom past him, clicking his heels to ride after it. 'What kind of creature is that?' Link thought, his own mind moving through the one's he knew as Epona jumped over one of the walls that had covered the plains. As he rode, he noticed the feathers on the mass becoming clearer in the moonlight, the shape now taking the form of a bird as it slowed down and landed upon a tree facing him, revealing a large owl as Link slowed Epona down to a trot. "It's been two years since you've been here, Link." Came the owl as Link stopped the horse in front of the tree, his face smiling as he looked at the familiar owl he had met during his time attempting to save Hyrule.

"Kaepora, I'm glad to see that you're still alive." Link spoke as he looked up at the owl, his own gaze overlooking the owl's feathers. Over the time he had last saw the owl, the birds feathers had remained unchanged, save for one that held a slight silver outlining that rested directly under the bird's beak. "So how has Hyrule been since I left it?"

"After you left Ganondorf returned to his home in the desert, and there hasn't been a sound from the Gerudo outside of small raids of the people around them for the past two years." Kaepora spoke, making Link's hands squeeze the reigns, remembering the King of Thieves and his time in the future. "It's almost eerily quiet over there when I flew overhead, too, oddly enough."

"Knowing what I do of Ganondorf, he's sure to be planning something…" Link spoke, his gaze soon moving down to Epona as the horse looked up at him. In the future timeline she was supposed to be given to Ganondorf as a gift from Ingo, and would've been too if he hadn't beat the man in a race and rode off with her. Along with this, the castle town had been destroyed and invested with the undead, and countless things were corrupted when Ganondorf had taken the Triforce of Power and proclaimed himself the King of Evil. Link then shook his head, silently reminding himself that that was no longer the future now as he looked up to the owl again. "So why have you come here?"

"I noticed you leaving the town with an enlistment form in you hand, despite what the soldiers had said to you before hand." Kaepora spoke, making Link flinch as he looked down at the reigns again. Though the men had told him no, he had snuck one of the papers from the desk while some of them were preoccupied with a rowdy man who had been shouting about the weakening of the Hylian guard, a veteran from the Hyrulean Civil War which claimed the lives of Link's parents, as he had discovered. "You've already dealt a devastating blow to Ganondorf, you've stopped him from ever entering the Sacred Realm through the Temple of Time for the moment, and have even prevented him from gaining the full power of the Triforce by claiming the Triforce of Courage. "

"How do you know about- right, you're the reincarnation of Rauru." Link spoke, remembering what he had learned from the Gossip stone near the forest temple, of Kaepora being the reincarnation of a sage. Rauru, the Sage he had met when he had drew the master sword and was sent forward seven years, was the only sage he had never met in his time as a child during his adventures, plus he saw more and more of Rauru's features when he looked at Kaepora. Link then leaned back in his saddle, placing his hands back to hold him there while Epona turned her head to look at him. "I don't know why I wasn't allowed to join simply because of my age, I've beaten all kinds of monsters and enemies that they would've never seen."

"But all they see is a child, not the hero of destiny." Kaepora responded, making Link look up at him, his mind cringing at the reminder. Though he had enough fights to make him a veteran, it meant nothing since he was still only a child compared to all the people around him. Kaepora then let out a noise that Link could guess was a chuckle, before his gaze looked back down at him. "If you truly want to find a better way to protect the people, and in a way that allows you more freedom rather than simply roaming the land, I can point you to a person who could allow you to gain that opportunity."

To that Link's ears perked up, soon sitting straight at attention as he placed his hands at the front of the saddle, raising him higher up. "There's a person who can help me?" Link asked as he looked at the owl, who once again made a chuckling sound. Despite all the things Link had done, Kaepora could still see that the boy was still a child at heart. "Is he like how I met you in the Sacred Realm?"

"In a sense." Kaepora spoke, his gaze looking down at Link as the boy looked up in wonder. "Back in the time before the Civil War had weakened this land, he led the Knights of Hyrule, a clan who intertwined their soldiers with the war so well that the group is considered legend by many as of now. During his time he had taken many feats, some of which could be considered even more difficult than the obstacles you had when aiding the Zora and Gorons. By the end of the war, however, he vanished into the life of a hermit, with only a handful even knowing of his location."

"But you know where he is?" Link asked, his gaze looking straight at the owl as a smile was clear on his face. "Could you tell me where he's living at?"

"He lives over to the southern entrance of the Lost Woods, which is hidden to all save for a certain few who know the path." Kaepora spoke, soon flapping his wings as his body rose with each beat. "If you truly wish to meet him, then wait for the morning to come and follow the trail of Lake Hylia. When you are traveling down the path, there will be a small trail up to the higher terrain surrounding the central plains of the kingdom, the location unnoticeable to all except those who know to look for it. At the end of the trail, follow the path until you see a hut. It is there that the hermit lives."

With that, the owl flapped his wings a few times, rising up as Link watched the bird before it flew off towards the lake, soon snapping out of it when feeling Epona shuffling under him. "A warrior who had accomplished greater feats than I did for the Gorons and Zora…" Link spoke to himself as he patted epona, looking down at her. "Do you think he'll be as strong as Darunia, or as stealthy as Impa?"

Epona simply snorted as a reply, making Link laugh as he lightly tapped his heels into her, causing her to start to move towards the gate leading to Lake Hylia. 'Though I never saw a path every time I walked through there, even in the adult timeline…' Link thought to himself as Epona changed to a full gallop towards the gate. 'I think I'll sleep over with the scarecrows, and then start searching for the valley in the morning…'

With that set in mind, he soon found himself galloping straight towards the entrance to the Lake, now gated over due to the night. With one extra click of his heels and a shout, however, Epona started galloping faster towards the gate, her form soon jumping over with ease as Link looked behind them, the gate now behind them. "Looks like you haven't gotten rusty since Termina, Epona." Link spoke as he patted the mare on the neck, getting a snort as a reply while the two continued their path to the lake, Links own mind now preparing for what could come.

Link rode carefully through the valley as he looked along the Eastern side of it, the side of which he knew the Kokiri forest sat on. He had rode along it a few times and found nothing when speeding through, so he had to slow down his pace to watch the cliff wall. 'Is there even a trail here?' Link thought to himself as he kept his gaze on the rocks, having already pulled out the Lens of Truth to look along it. As he started to look a bit further ahead, however, he noticed something on one of the formations as he put the Lens down. One part of the Cliffside immediately bumped out, the rest of the pathway after the bump leaving the valley wider all the way to the lake. Link soon tapped his heels into Epona, who started into a trot as Link kept his gaze on the cut in the valley. As it came closer, he noticed another few things about it, one being the ground seemed to level out more in that particular area than the rest of the cliff walls, and another being a small triangular mark placed at the end of it as well. When he reached it, however, he noticed something else: Between the two ridges was a small valley, the layout of the cliffs lining it making it seem as if the thing immediately cut off to the rest of the way to Lake Hylia, not a magical illusion hiding it but the formation of the rocks turning it into an illusion of the mind, making anyone who didn't give it a second glance think that it was just a normal part of the wall that didn't lead to anywhere.

"So then, do you think this is the place?" Link asked as he looked down at Epona, who simply snorted as Link moved his gaze back on the pathway. Despite what Kaepora said about it only being known about by a few, the road itself seemed fairly leveled, though rarely used. As he rode into the path on Epona, as well, he noticed that the road walls changed after a few yards in, slowly shortening and showing visual carvings on them as Link passed through, soon showing a clearing as Link continued. When he entered it, however, he was in utter awe: in front of him stood a large stone that blocked the path any further. Upon it was a large symbol of the Triforce, similar to what sat above the Door of time. Below it, however, were two swords that crossed in a wide x under the golden triangle. "Is this some sort warning for people?"

With that Link hopped off of Epona, walking up to the stone as the horse moved to rest over to the side of the cliff. As he did, however, the stone began to glow, making him stop momentarily and reach for his sword, his hand resting on the familiar hilt as he continued to approach the stone, which glowed brighter with each step. By the time he was right in front of it, the light coming off of it was almost blinding, while at the same time the stone itself seemed to be humming. Link slowly drew his sword as he squinted his eyes to see, the gold that had been tempered into the blade shining with the light as he pointing it at the stone. Immediately after, Link tapped the stone with his blade, causing the stone to shake as Link kept squinting at it, soon going silent again as Link took a defensive stance.

After a few more taps and getting the same result, Link sheathed his blade, soon walking further up to it and reaching his hand to the stone. 'What kind of stone is this?' Link thought to himself before he placed his left hand on it, expecting the stone to shake again. Instead, however, the light began to condense into a circle around his hand, the symbol of the Triforce soon shining on the back of his hand, causing Link to jump back in shock, the stone soon returning to it's full on blast of light again as he looked at his hand, the symbol of the Triforce fading. 'What in Din's name…'

Link looked at his hand in confusion, his eyes opening up more as they were getting accustom to the light pouring off of the stone, before he walked up and placed his hand on it again, the light once again condensing around his hand with the Triforce shining bright. Link just stared at it in shock as the light soon enveloped his hand, causing a tingling feeling to surround it as the light began to swirl into four different colors of red, blue, green, and gold. As it did this, as well, the words of an old voice began to sound in his mind; the words it spoke coming off as commanding while at the same time making Link feel at ease.

'Who are you that dares to enter this sacred place?' Came the voice in Link's mind, leaving a small gap of silence for Link to process the words before it spoke again. 'For what reason have you come?'

Link just kept quiet as he stared at the statue, his mind in shock from the voice that had come into his head. He had remembered something similar happening before back at the Shadow Temple, when a voice had told him of the requirements to go through the temple. However, it was still confusing over the fact that the voice currently in his head was asking who he was.

"…My name is Link." Link finally spoke, his thoughts now focusing on the voice as he looked to the stone in front of him. "I was told by the owl Kaepora that there was a hermit around here who could help me in finding a way to defend Hyrule."

'So you seek the hermit of the southern pass, who remains the guardian of the old ways.' Replied the voice as the light soon moved up Link's arm, engulfing him before he had a time to react. 'Then you shall be tested by the ideals of your spirit.'

With that Link started to feel warm, the light seeming to go into him as he looked at it in awe. As he did, small visions started to fill his head as the light slowly went into him; a battalion of armored knights, all wearing full plated armor with purple cloth under it, standing in front of the Hylian King in one vision, while an event of several knights holding back an army of monsters from a forest appeared in another. Then, he saw a man standing against several knights with a longsword drawn, his blonde hair seeming to be blown back as he held a defensive stance, a horse riding away from him as he stared at the men in front of him. Link, for some reason, felt a sudden ping at his heart as the scene faded, returning to the area around him as the light began moving from the rock completely and encircled him. As he looked back to the stone, the light covering it now all but faded, he lifted his hand to find a small white gem resting beneath it. When he placed his hand on it again, however, the gem glowed, soon pushing out and into his palm as a small chain formed on it, wrapping around his arm as the gem fell.

'You have been deemed worthy to enter the graves of the knights due to passing the Trials of Virtue, and are proven a Knight of Hyrule due to the lineage of your family.' Came the voice again, this time humming from the gem as the center of the boulder started to fade in front of Link. Epona, in the meantime, soon got up and walked over to Link, noticing the change in scenery as the boulder soon had a large gap inside of it big enough for both Link and Epona to fit in. 'The one who you seek, the caretaker of the resting place of the Knights, resides further in. Welcome, Hero of Destiny.'

With that said, the glow upon the stone vanished, and silence soon filled Link's head as he picked himself up onto Epona. 'Trials were supposed to be taken?' Link thought as he tapped his heels into Epona's sides lightly, the two soon moving slowly into the pathway that appeared as Link processed through what he could know. As he moved his hand into his pouch to grab one of his bottles, the contents of each being of milk from his last time in Lon Lon Ranch, he felt a familiar stone seem to fall onto his hand. Link just pulled it out confused, the glint of green and gold coming off of it as he held it up into the sun. The Kokiri Emerald, the first stone he had gained from his travels, and the only one he had left. After his adventure ended, he returned the Goron Ruby to Darunia and the Zora's Sapphire to Ruto, but when he had offered the emerald back to the Kokiri, Saria had stopped him from even trying. 'Now that I remember correctly, the stones each had their own ordeals in order to obtain each from the tribes… Does that mean that the stone considered my adventures as the trials it was talking about?'

With that thought in mind, Link soon put the stone back in its pouch as he finally made it into a clearing. In front of him was a wide area covered in grass, save for a single stone walkway that led into the forest. In between the walkway and the forest entrance, however, stood a stone that seemed similar to the one he had just passed, except this one held a different carving and picture, this one more detailed. Upon it was a drawing of seven knights, each one holding a different outfit and seal, the one in the center wearing a tunic similar to Links as he looked at it in wonder, soon turning his gaze to find something else. Beside the stone sat a small hut, and past that was a large array of trees, grown so wide and close together that it would've been impossible to even walk around them, let alone through them. They also stood leagues above the trees he had seen in the Kokiri Forest, the towering trees overhead giving an eerie feeling as Link slowly rode to the hut.

Link soon heard a loud hoot as a shadow flew overhead, making Link look up to see Kaepora fly overhead and towards the hut, soon landing in front of it before staring over at Link, who rode up to the place. Link soon rode over to the hut as he looked over at the large stone beside it, the etchings on the stone showing various depictions of knights, leading to the top of it. Each knight, however, held a different set of armor, and above each was a name carved in an unrecognizable dialect. If Navi were here, she would've probably known the language and translated it easily.

"Good to see that you've arrived." Kaepora spoke as Link slowed Epona to a trot, looking at the owl as they motioned to the hut. It was then that Link noticed the design of the hut; though the place around it seemed to be ancient compared to many of the places in Hyrule outside of the Temple of Time, the house itself showed no signs of it despite being made mainly of wood. Along with this, there was a shield that sat at the top of the doorway, the design remarkably similar to the shield he had bought at Hyrule market at the same time he had started his quest, now currently sitting on his back. The owl soon noticed his gaze upon the symbol on the hut, nodding its head to it as Link rode past the bird and towards the small building. "The shield design was used by those who were of the Hylian Knights, and seemed to be so highly regarded that the populace had several different copies made. Unlike the one you got at the Bazaar, however, it is far more durable than it would give off."

"It's made from Sky Ore, a blue metal that is said to have fallen from the sky back before the rise of Hyrule." Came a voice from the cabin, making Link stop his approach immediately as an old man soon appeared from the darkness of the entrance, a staff firmly in his hand as he stepped fully out of the entrance. The man then chuckled as he looked up, lifting the staff and tapping the shield as he soon looked back at Link. "It is said to bear the blessing of Nayru and can turn any weapon or armor made from the metal into a solid defense from most magic and attacks, which is certainly the case for the shield up there. Understandable of the belief, too, given that Nayru's gift to us through the fairies was an ability that prevented damage."

Link just stared at the man in silence, looking him over as he got off of Epona. He held pure white hair and a long beard that went down to the middle of his chest, his outfit a long brown robe that had tears and weathering all along the seams and the sleeves themselves, though the small gold embroidery on the shoulders showed it had once held a sense of authority. The man's staff, as Link looked, held seven seals along its sides that could be visible, all of them the seals of the Six Sages. At the top of the staff sat a wooden medallion, carved upon it was three triangles with a bird resting under them; the Triforce.

"Not one for words, is he?" The old man chuckle, snapping Link out of his thoughts as he looked back at Kaepora, the old man now moving forward as his staff made a resounding tap with every step he took, causing Link to look down at the grass. Though the area was covered in grass, directly under it was stone, making the boys eyes widen with curiosity as the old man continued his pace. The old man, noticing his gaze, simply chuckled as he stopped right in front of him. "This place was originally a grand hall meant to honor those who had died protecting the people, now reduced to the entrance of the southern part of the forest within a few thousand years time. As such, the grass grew over the tiles and the area melded into becoming one with the forest beside it, though we managed to move most the stones that made up the walls and ceiling and moving the entirety of the place to a new area, though it remains the entryway to the hall of the dead."

"But you aren't here for stories, if I'm correct on my assumptions." The old man spoke as he looked down at Link, who just looked back up at him, now only realizing how few wrinkles were actually around the mans face and eyes that weren't covered by his beard. The old man then went down on one knee in front of Link, his staff still upright as he gazed in the boy's blue eyes with his own, his gaze holding a slightly darker blue. "So then, why have you come here? For some ancient knowledge or relics of the past? Or is it just to explore and find an adventure in every turn?"

Link just stared as his mind went through his own thoughts, trying to remember what he had come there to ask. "…I was told by Kaepora that you could help me find a way to help Hyrule." Link spoke finally, making the man in front of him smile as he stood up.

"So he does speak, and in whole sentences to boot." The old man spoke as he turned back to the hut, signaling Link to follow as he walked towards a small fire pit that was placed beside the house, a few stumps sitting around it like chairs. Link just followed silently as the old man moved one of the stumps with his foot, revealing them to have been cut as he adjusted it a bit more before sitting down, Link sitting down on the one opposite him as Kaepora moved up to the two. The old man then waved his hand over the pit, mumbling a few words before a spark appeared in it, soon turning into a roaring flame as the old man looked at Link, the smile still there. "Now then, before you ask someone for help, you normally have to give your name or an alias to them. It's a form of agreement for those you meet that you mean no harm."

"…Link." Link replied, keeping his gaze on the old man while trying to read him. Because of his time both in Termina and in the future, he had seen many different people, yet he had never even seen anyone like this old man before. What's more, the man had just formed a fire as casually as drawing a line, automatically telling Link just how powerful he could possibly be from his affinity of magic alone. "Forgive me if I sound rude, but what is your name?"

"Raven, though there's no need for you to be formal with me." The old man replied, holding his hand upon the fire as it started to steadily glow brighter, causing Link to look at it. What he saw within the fire, however, was himself, and in front of his fire counterpart was an image of the creature that had caused the death of the Deku Tree, Queen Gohma. "You fought through a lot two years ago, if I can gather right. Quite a feat in it's own to defeat such a beast at so young an age."

"How do you know that?" Link asked, looking at Raven in surprise this time as the old man smiled under his beard, waving his hand over the fire again as the flame returned to its orange glow. "And how did you create that image through the fire?"

"I'm among those who hold the affinity of magic, just as you, but my abilities were unlocked through months of training, and mastered only after a decade of constant study." Raven replied as he rested his staff on his shoulder, Link simply keeping his eyes on Raven as he set his hands on his lap. "It's one thing to know magic and use it in battle like you have from your visits with the Great Fairies, while another entirely to expand upon it. It was because of this that I could feel the ripples of fate the moment of the Great Deku Tree's death, and decided to follow your trail from then all the way to the Temple of Time."

"You knew about all that Ganondorf had done?" Link asked, his face now showing clear signs of anger at the man as they nodded. "Then if you're able to use magic to this extent, why didn't you do anything to stop him?"

"Now now, no need to get angry over things that have already occurred." Raven spoke as he raised his hand, widening his gaze at Link's clear anger before he looked over to Kaepora. "You can go if you wish, Kaepora, I'll take to speaking to the boy alone here on out."

"Of course." Kaepora responded, a slight hint of tension coming from his voice as he flapped his wings, soon rising and flying away as Raven looked back at Link. His anger didn't seem to waver, but he was thinking more on the man now. A man who, by all Link's knowledge, looked like he could've managed to stop Ganondorf before he even tried his gamble for the Sacred Realm. Raven simply sighed as he leaned back, looking at the boy as Link snapped out of his thoughts.

"So then, you're wondering why I never interfered, correct?" Raven asked, looking at Link as he placed his staff on the ground beside him. He then held up his hand over the flame again, causing the flame to change into a light blue glow, his hands soon returning to his side as he kept his gaze on the boy. "Let me ask you something beforehand; do you know what happened in the Hylian Civil War?"

Link only shook his head, confused by the question as the man's hand clenched into a fist, causing the flames to change into another scene, soldiers along opposing sides, all preparing to charge against each other. "It was a brutal war, one where brother fought brother, and the same could be stated about the Knights of the time." Raven spoke as he passed his hand through the flame, causing the scene to change into several armored figures facing off against one single man, the warrior holding both the Hylian Shield and a well made longsword that looked to be of a similar design to the master sword. "During the war, the Knights split into two factions, one that fought to defend the royal family, and the other seeking power. It probably marked one of the only times that the Knights of Hyrule have ever been split on opinions, and the first time that a internal war had been fought on such a wide scale that it was even fought alongside a civil war."

"What does this have to do with the fact that you stayed here?" Link asked, making Raven smirk as he looked to the fire, soon looking back to the boy as he looked at his left arm. "What reason would make you-"

"That reason that I remained here is because this became my own penance for my actions and inactions." The old man interrupted as his gaze hardened to a point made Link see the stress that was on the man. He then drew his left sleeve back as he continued his speech, revealing a arm far more toned and muscled than his robe and beard made him look, one that had to have been from constant battles and experience. Upon it, however, was a sigil of a phoenix, one that seemed to have been branded on his arm. "I'm guessing Kaepora had told you of my history if you came here?"

Link thought back to the night before, recalling the words Kaepora had said. "He said that you were the leader of the Knights of Hyrule, and fought in the war." Link spoke, recalling the little he was told before he hastily agreed to it. Raven simply smirked as he picked up his staff, stabbing it into the ground beside him as Link remembered the stone that led here, pulling the necklace with the white stone out of his bag.

"Indeed, I was the leader of the knights, still am despite my reclusiveness this past decade." Raven spoke as he looked to the fire, waving his hand over it as it changed again into

"Before I was able to enter here, the stone leading to this place stated I had been proven a true Knight of Hyrule for passing the Trials of Virtue."

"Trials that come almost randomly from the area's we live in, tests by the Goddesses to see our resolve. These trials can only be undergone by those of the Knights Line, and it is only after this that those who undertake them can pull the Master Sword." Raven responded, making Link look up shocked as the man smirked, tapping his foot on the grass under them. "The ones used by our tribe that bare the same name, as well, are a set of trials that dictate what part of the Knights of Hyrule you'll be a part of, based specifically on how you take each and how skilled you are in taking them. Speaking of, what title did it call you by?"

"Title? You mean what it called me as I took the pendant" Link asked, his confusion clear in his voice as he recalled the stone, and the voice it held. "…It called me the Hero of Destiny."

"Destiny, you say? Not of Legend?" Raven asked, his brow furrowed as he looked at Link, who simply nodded before a smile could be seen again. "Well, that is interesting, and something I never thought I'd see in my lifetime."

"What do you mean?" Link asked, looking at Raven confused before the man shook his head, soon standing up as he waved his hand over the flame again, this time the flame turning green.

"I'll explain it to you later on, but your previous question was why I didn't do anything to stop Ganondorf, correct?" Raven asked, Link soon nodding as the man held his hand to the flame and closing it into a fist, causing it to die out. "To be simply put, I was weak at the time. True, I could've left this place and gone to go fight him myself, but I would've died because of how clouded my mind was at the time."

"Past tense, meaning you were only like that during Ganondorf's attempt?" Link asked, noticing the pattern of the man's speech as Raven looked at the boy with a small smile.

"Are you sure you're only a child?" Raven asked as he grabbed his staff, pulling himself up as he turned to the large stone beside the forest, soon walking over to it as Link got up and followed suit. "Yes, I was clouded in my mind back then, but something happened that allowed my mind to clear, something that hadn't happened since I took my title as the leader of the Hylian Knights."

"And what was that?" Link asked, making Raven smile as he looked to the boy before he pulled the emblem off the top of his staff, revealing it to be a small disc that sat in the top of it as he pressed it into the stone. Then, the stone began to fade in the area that the disc had been pressed against, turning into a passageway within the stone that led into the forest, or what Link had thought was the forest. What was there, instead, was a long stone hallway, looking as well kept and cleaned as if it was part of a functioning castle or fortress.

"I found more to fight for than just the Royal family." Raven responded as he signaled for Link to follow again, the two soon stepping into the hallway. Despite it's surroundings covered in trees, the hallway itself was well lighted with a few torches on each wall, each torch evenly separated from the next as Raven continued his walk into the hallway, Link following suit as the entryway closed behind them. "Despite the failure of Ganondorf's attempt for power, there's no doubt in my mind that he'll return and try something again."

"What makes you so sure that he's going to?" Link asked as he looked to Raven, who only sighed as they came to a door at the end of the hallway. Raven then looked at him, his gaze seeming to show his age again as he looked down at the boy. "

"There have been many men like him, men who are ambitious enough to try and claim the land for themselves. Conquest is always from the actions of ambitious men." Raven spoke as he opened the door, revealing a wide hallway, within which sat several tables and doorways. In the center of it rested a large circular platform, with a painting of two blades behind a shield that encompassed it. Raven entered it in a stride, Link following suit quickly as the old man continued. "His plans of deceit have failed, so he will turn to using the means of that which resides in the desert, be it the tribe of his Gerudo or the darker forces which reside within it."

"There's others within the desert?" Link asked, looking at Raven as the man nodded, his gaze unchanging as he continued his walk through the area.

"They had fought us once before, during which time it took me and two others to hold them back and seal them away." Raven spoke as he walked up onto the platform, his staff once again tapping on the surface and making Link stop in his walk and look down to the floor. Through the entire walk here, the man's staff hadn't even made a sound while they walked, and Link was sure he saw the man place it on the tiles in his walk. Link couldn't ponder it too long, however, before he heard a cough, making him look up to see Raven looking at him expectantly. "Are you coming?"

"Sure." Link spoke as he moved over to the man, soon stepping up onto the platform as he looked around the area. "What is this place?"

"A place where we used to hold initiations and several other events several hundred years ago, now used as a place for funerals of our brothers in arms that rest further in this keep." Raven spoke as he stood in the center of the ring, pointing his staff to the roof above them, causing Link to look up to see rings of knights standing in attention as they covered the roof long past the roof, the Triforce sitting in the center. "The history of this fortress dates back all the way to the founding of our order by the first known Hero of Legend, and each who have been trained here have led lives above the normal knights, being given equal standing in our order as those who have drawn the Sword of Evil's Bane. In fact, it was those of us who had been trained here that defeated the forces I spoke of the first time we met them."

"Again you say something about forces of the desert, yet you haven't yet named them." Link spoke, making Raven sigh as he placed his staff back down. "What exactly are they?"

"Beings that are considered the same strength as Iron Knuckles, yet far different in their design. We gave them the title of Dark Nuts since they have several forms to take, and are born from darkness as if in fields of seeds." Raven spoke, his staff now resting on his shoulder as he walked to the edge of the ring, soon walking around the circle. "In time I'll explain more, but that will be after you accept my offer."

"Offer?" Link asked, now confused as he looked to the area around them. Now that he was looking to the walls, he noticed something new: around it were an assortment of wooden weapons, all looking to be of peak of condition. There were several forms of swords, one similar to his original Kokiri sword, but there were other types he had seen the gerudo use, and some he recognized as the design from the Garo he faced in Ikana. Link then looked back to Raven as he heard a click from their staff, only to find that they had placed the disc back into it's spot on the staff. "What is that offer?"

"Ganondorf will march against Hyrule in at least five years time, this much I know from his last actions before I lost sight of him due to the witches Koume and Kotake." Raven spoke, causing Link to tense to the names of the witches as Raven looked to him. However, he kept from the subject as he continued his explanation. "Since you wish to protect the people of this land, I offer you a chance to do so through learning under me. To learn the arts that your bloodline allows, that way you may protect the people you can when the time comes of Ganondorf's return."

Link only looked at the man as he processed what he just said. "So you want me to be a Knight of Hyrule?" Link asked, making Raven only sigh as he looked at the boy. "You do realize that the stone that blocked the way recognized me as one, right?"

"It recognized your title and the potential you possess at the moment." Raven spoke as he looked at Link, his own gaze now amused. "The gem itself represents the potential title you hold within you, but it is nothing but raw and reckless power if you don't learn how to temper and harness it."

Link just looked at him confused before the man raised his hand, mumbling a few words again before two of the wooden swords flew off of the wall, each resting in front of both of them. "If you don't believe me, then simply defeat me in a fight." Raven continued as he tossed his staff to the side, gripping the weapon as Link looked at the wooden blade in front of him. There he was, a hero who had defeated countless enemies, saved a parallel world from a falling moon and a possessed mask, and he was being told that he had yet to temper his abilities.

"Fine, if it's only to prove you wrong." Link spoke as he reached out and gripped the weapon, soon taking an attack stance as he pulled his shield off of his back instinctively. Raven only smirked as Link realized what he did. Raven then chuckled as Link started to place his shield to it's former place on his back, making Link stop as he looked at him confused.

"It's fine for you to use your shield, it was my error in forgetting that you would need one to maximize your natural fighting style," Raven spoke as he raised his free hand, making Link only nod to him before the old man retook his defensive stance. A gleam could be seen in the eyes of the man as he held his blade up towards Link, one that seemed to be anticipation as Link took his own stance. "Now then, let's see how you can fare."

Chapter Text

Link slowly moved around Raven, the old man’s gaze keeping on him as he kept his shield up in preparation. Raven just kept in place, his weapon raised defensively as his gaze kept on the young boy. “I thought you were going to prove me wrong on your abilities.” Raven spoke, making Link stop his movement momentarily as the old man turned to him. “There’s no need to be worried about me if you think I can’t take any attacks, I can handle myself quite easily.”

Link just looked at the man as they took a defensive stance again. ‘His loss.’ Link thought, jumping to the side of the man before going for a thrust at the man’s back, expecting to catch him off guard. However, Raven’s blade moved like lightning, knocking Link’s blade up as the boy raised his shield up instinctively, next feeling the force of the old man’s attack push him several feet back. Link then looked at the old man in shock, Raven’s gaze showing amusement as he placed his blade on his shoulder. “The handling of your weapon’s grip is similar to the Kokiri fighting style, if I’m not mistaken.” Raven spoke, his smile not leaving his face as he took his defensive stance again. “Good for battle against monsters and some heavily armored enemies, but not without it’s own flaws.”

With that he took an attack stance, immediately going for a thrust at Link. The boy only raised his shield slightly angled, causing the blade to slide up over his head as he went for a side slash. However, he found nothing as Raven’s feet left off the ground, having him go over the boy and roll forwards as Link turned to him, immediately going for a downward slash. “One of these flaws is the way each strike is thrown.” Raven continued, raising his blade to meet the slash and causing it to slide down the blade, Raven’s feet turning him to where his blade was at the boy’s neck, Link’s shield arm not even moving as he looked at the man in shock. “You place too much power in your strikes. While you have a good defense immediately after your attack, you bear little to no defense within your attacks.”

With that he pushed the boy away, causing Link to fall back as the old man stood up. “Now, come at me again while paying more attention to my counter-attacks.” Raven spoke, making Link only ready up again as the man raised his blade up. With a short cry, Link jumped forward again as he slashed downward, Raven’s weapon rising up to meet it before angling again as the blade made contact, sliding the blade down to his right before he spun his own weapon down on Link’s neck, stopping its arc as quickly as it began. The boy stopped immediately, his gaze on Raven’s blade as the old man smirked. “If I was a Lizalfos or a Stalfos, you may have had the advantage. However, I am neither and have been honed through the fires of war.”

With that, he lifted his blade up and tossed it to the side, raising his hand towards his staff as Link kept in place, looking at the man’s back as his staff flew to his hand. “None of the enemies I’ve fought have angled my strikes like that.” Link spoke, making Raven turn to him with a smirk as he looked at the young boy.

“None of your enemies bore an understanding of the Kokiri fighting style,” Raven responded, Link dropping his own weapon as he placed his shield back on his back. “Though it’s great in terms of defensive combat, it leaves the fighter open if they’re the one pressing the attack. That, however, takes years of practice that peace-loving races like the Kokiri don’t need or wish for.”

Link just kept his gaze on the old man as they turned back to him, snapping his fingers as the flames began to dim. “Now, I would like to grant you this offer, but I’d prefer the answer within the real world than in the false.” Raven continued, making Link’s expression change as the area around them began to fall apart.

It hadn’t even been two seconds after Link had heard Raven that he found himself sitting beside the fire outside of the ruins once again, Raven looking into it as a green smoke swirled around it. “What…” Link muttered, finding himself sounding as if he was waking up from a dream as Raven stood up.

“Moss from the Lost Woods, capable of being used for illusionary magic that makes a world within the minds around that is similar to a dream tying people together, and with a natural magic that causes those who enter the woods to be lost without a fairy.” Raven spoke, holding his hand over the fire as it began to die down. Link just stared at it in shock as Raven continued his explanation. “Though our battle may have been within the mind, the actions we took were very much our real ability.”

“Then the place past that boulder isn’t opened the same way?” Link asked, making Raven shake his head.

“No, it is opened in the same fashion as I instructed you, but the area we faced off in is nowhere near this place any longer.” Raven sighed, his staff tapping the stone in between the grass as he looked back to the boy. “We are currently standing in what remains of those grounds, the rest of which had been moved to the current training grounds of the Knights. What rests behind that stone, however, is far more sacred.”

“What is it?” Link asked, looking to the stone itself as Raven looked to it.

“Before that, you must first answer my offer.” Raven spoke, making Link turn to him. “Will you train under me in order to face the threat that is to come?” 

Link just looked at the man, his gaze hard on the stone as Link looked to it as well. “I already made my mind up when I had come here, and the threat of Ganondorf’s return only strengthens my resolve to it.” Link responded, looking back to the old man as he noticed a smile on his face. “If I can help as many people as I can, then I’ll become a Knight of Hyrule.”

“Then by my right as the Commander and leader of our clan, I shall name you as such.” Raven spoke, stepping forward as Link kept his gaze on him. “I’ll deal with the formalities later, but for now I shall let you see the truth behind what is hidden in this place.” 

The desert sun blazed overhead as a cloaked figure walked along the sands, the green skin on their hands evident as they pulled their hood higher over their face.   He had been traveling through the desert for three days, his path guided by a feather given to him by Koume and Kotake as his answer to his failures at Hyrule. “if you wish to still take Hyrule, my king, then you must look deeper in the desert to the West.” Both had spoken when they had taken the form of Twinrova, handing him the feather. “This feather, though insignificant at first glance, shall glow when you reach the place you wish to. However, the path to your goal will be kept hidden from actions of decades past, when you had yet to be born and three wanderers had ventured into it.”

His gaze returned to the feather, a red glow apparent from it as he kept his movement towards a small hill in front of him. ‘Two years for them to make this feather, two years wasted because of that boy and the princess.’ Ganondorf thought, his left hand moving to one of his canteens as he remembered the events. Though he had only seen the boy that one time, there was no doubt in his mind that it was his actions, which caused the revelation of his plans. As he remembered it, his hand clenched around the feather, placing it back in its pouch as he lifted his canteen and took a sip. As he made it to the hill, however, he noticed that the feather within the pouch began to glow bright enough to shine through it, making him pull it back out and look to it in wonder. With a new sense of resolve, he moved quickly to the hill, walking around it as the feather glowed brighter and brighter.

When he had reached halfway around the hill, however, the feather’s glow vanished. Ganondorf only looked at it in confusion as he held it towards the hill, then away from it. Any direction he had moved it towards, however, the feather’s glow vanished. ‘With Twinrova’s magic, that normally means two things.’ Ganondorf thought, his gaze moving back to the hill and scanning the layers of it. ‘Either the magic has worn off, which only occurs when it is broken, or it has completed it’s purpose.’ 

His gaze scanned every part of the hill, his eyes only revealing sand in it’s wake. As he reached halfway up, however, he noticed what looked to be the top of a rock, making the man smile in it’s cold form. Then, after a short walk to the area itself, he started to dig.

When Link had entered behind Raven into the entrance within the rock, he expected the same hallway as last time. What he had been met with, however, was a set of stairs. They had only traversed a few dozen, as well, before they had reached the grand door with they now stood at. “Before we enter, I must ask that you do not touch anything within this room.” Raven spoke, looking to Link as the boy felt the tension in the air. “This is a place which the items inside are a memento to the fallen here, and are to not be touched by anyone other than the caretakers and members of the family lines.”

Link only nodded as he looked back to Raven, the man’s gaze firm as he turned back to the door and opened it with one big push, soon walking inside. Link took a few steps in, as well, before he stopped in his tracks at the sight. In front of him was a large circular room, the roof of which held the same design as the room in the illusion. However, the floor onward was completely different, holding several stairways that led further downward that also bore old Hylian words upon each path. In the center, however, was a wide space, with only a few coffins that sat around a large statue, the statue itself being of a warrior who held his blade up to the Triforce that was at the center of the room. Raven only continued to walk forward, Link following quickly as he noticed weapons that resided on each of the coffins.

“What is this place?” Link asked, Raven no longer chuckling at the boy’s questions as they moved closer to the statue.

“This is the resting place of many Heroes of Legend, as well as the resting place of the Knights of Hyrule who were the pinnacle of our teachings.” Raven spoke, moving his staff to point to the coffins surrounding the statue. “In the center rest the greatest of our commanders past, men who were the example of honor, duty, and the traits we hold at the highest regard. The weapons themselves are made of three different ores of which only our clan knows how to forge together, a physical representation of their standing in our ranks.”

“Is Sky ore one of those?” Link asked, making Raven smile as he looked to the boy.

“Indeed it is, my boy,” Raven responded, looking back to the statue in the center. “These weapons are only allowed to be used by those of the family line and cannot be taken from here under any circumstance save for a small few. One of these exceptions was during the Hylian Civil War, when descendants of these warriors took up their ancestors weapons and went to deal with those who had broken our oaths.” 

Link’s gaze then moved back to the statue in the center, the figure looking more familiar as he noticed the similarities in the outfit to his own. “He has the same outfit as the Kokiri.” Link spoke, making the old man chuckle as they finally stopped in front of the statue, allowing Link to see several weapons placed on the stone at it’s feet. “Who is he?" 

“The first Hero of Legend, whose tale is now only told by the Knights of Hyrule and the Sheikah who guard the Royal Family, as both were impacted the most by his actions.” Raven spoke, looking up to the statue as Link looked to him. “He is the one who founded the Knights of Hyrule, and who returns in our lines when Hyrule is in grave danger. During his time, we were a great clan in our own right, protecting the Triforce with arts passed from him directly, along with several other abilities that came as time progressed. After the final years of the Civil War, however, much of that has been forgotten by the younger generations.”

“How bad was the Civil War?” Link asked, making Raven look at him before he smiled. However, it seemed more somber than Link expected as Raven turned back to the statue, walking up to it.

“I’ll tell you in a few years, after you’ve taken to your training.” Raven replied, stopping at the base of the statue and reaching out to it. Link’s gaze trailed from Raven’s hand to the stone slab under the statue, revealing a sheathed longsword with a gold hilt resting at the base of the statue’s feet. Raven then grabbed the weapon before lifting it onto his shoulder, looking back to Link as the somber look he had before had vanished, now showing it’s more serious tone. “For now, however, I explain your first training regiment: meditation.”

Link just looked at Raven confused as he signaled him to follow, walking directly behind the statue as he started heading for the other end of the room. Link followed immediately, soon looking past to see a large doorway with the symbol of the Triforce, making his eyes widen as Raven placed the longsword he had in between the two doors, causing the triangles to begin to glow as the door slowly slid open. “What is that sword?” Link asked as Raven put the sword in the same hand as his staff, the old man simply walking forward as he looked to the boy.

“The symbol of my rank and status, a weapon of which the forging remains secret even within our own order.” Raven spoke, walking into the room as the two found themselves within another circular room, this one smaller and with five flames in the center of it. Each flame bore a different color; red, blue, purple, green, and yellow. Link stared at each one in wonder as the two walked into the center, where a table sat with no chairs around it. “It is also among the only items that may allow you access to the further areas of these ruins that are only accessible to those who are of the Knights. In time, it too shall rest within this place with my ancestors, when the time comes for me to take my final breath." 

“But enough of the relics of this cemetery, for now is the time for you to find your path.” Raven continued, stopping in front of the table as Link circled around to the other side, staring at it. Upon the table was drawn the insignia of the Triforce with the phoenix under it, and under that an upside down triangle. Resting in the center of it was a silver dagger, of which held a hilt similar to the Master Sword that Link had used in the future timeline. Then, Raven placed his hand on the dagger, sliding it to Link as the boy stopped it in front of him. “This test is set for those whose bloodline is unknown to us, and is used to ensure which family they belong to, normally during times where we needed to ensure the person could take a weapon from here. The task is quite simple; raise the blade, and the flames which coincide with your bloodline shall grow.”

Link only nodded, staring at the blade as he gripped it’s handle, the dagger seeming as long as the Kokiri sword he had used two years ago. Then, Link lifted the blade, watching each flame to see what would happen. As if in response, however, all five flames rose, making Raven’s smirk only grow as he stood straighter, making Link just realize the man was only a foot taller than he was when he had been sent into the future. “What kind of family does it say I belong to?” Link asked, setting the blade back down as the flames lowered with it. Raven only chuckled, signaling Link to follow again as they went to the opposite end of the room from where they came in, allowing Link to see a black door that he couldn’t notice before from the shadows cast by the flames.

“It means you hold attributes from each of the branches, which only lies within those who are among the main family.” Raven responded, opening the door as Link followed behind him. In front of them now sat a long passageway, with the sound of the wind being clear on the other side. Link only looked at the hallway confused as Raven tapped his staff on the ground, causing the disc on the top of it to glow as he continued walking forward. “Those who belong to it hold a high affinity to magic and combat, as those of the Knights Line hold abilities and traits that make us several times stronger than the average soldier.”

As they walked, Link noticed carvings along the hallway as they finally came into the clearing, each seeming to tell of a tale. Then, as if out of nowhere, they came into a clearing that seemed brighter than the rest, the stones around them seeming to reflect the light of the disc upward into a gem above them. With a tap of his staff, Raven released the magic causing the disc to glow, but the glow of the gem remained and showed the details of the room around them. “Incredible…” Link spoke as he looked in awe, Raven only smiling as he turned to the boy. All around them were different sets of armor, each holding a name under them in old hylian. Raven then moved to a chest that sat at the edge of the entrance, the looks of it showing that it was newer than a vast majority of the items within the room. “What is this place…”

“It is the armor of each leader of the Knights of Hyrule, which has been kept here with mementos of their deeds in times where we may call upon their aid again.” Raven responded, setting his staff to the side as he opened the chest, pulling out a fairly large bag within it as Link watched. “The chest here is where the current leader places their own armor, only to be used when the call is sounded for the knights to go to war.”

Link looked over Raven’s shoulder as the man looked through the confines of the back he pulled out. From within the chest, he could swear he could see a white metal within it before Raven shut the chest, locking it before he stood up and turned to the boy. “Come, we’d best not stay within the confines of these halls any longer,” Raven spoke as he picked his staff back up, soon walking past the young boy as he looked at him confused. Raven then stopped before he turned over to the boy. “If you wish to know more on the history of each leader here or view their armor, I’d suggest first attaining the strength and training to prove it.”

With that statement Link simply nodded, following Raven quickly as the man walked back through the way they came. The glow of the disc once again lighted their way as Link looked over the pictures again, a question now forming into his head. “So I have a question, though I’m not sure if I’ll get an answer,” Link spoke as they made their way out of the hallway, Raven’s gaze not wavering from the path as they made their way out, the door shutting behind them as if knowing they had left. “Do you know who my parents were?”

This made Raven stop in front of the next door, which had shut during the time they had gone into the room. “…Yes, I knew them, if they are who I believe,” Raven spoke as he kept his face from the boy, placing the sword on the door once again to open it. As it opened, he began walking immediately, forcing Link to follow him. “Your father was more than likely the Knight Linus, who held a strength beyond what many had seen in ages. During his time alive, he had been considered among those with the potential to be the next Knight Commander after me. Your mother, Ilia, was a skilled healer, and a woman who held a powerful affinity to magic. Those of the splintered faction, in an act to harm us, killed Linus, and Ilia was nowhere to be found, but there were murmurs of an injured woman venturing into the Kokiri Forest, but that was as far as we knew. Given the events of the day of Linus’ death, as well as the location Ilia fled to, it is more than likely that they were your parents.”

“According to the Deku Tree, my mother had taken me before the tree but died from her injuries soon afterwards,” Link spoke, his voice echoing through the vast room as they walked around the graves of the commanders. Raven kept his gaze on the path ahead, but it looked as if a weight had taken hold of his shoulders. “What kind of relationship did you have with them-my parents?”

“I had trained Linus personally as was the personal request of his father, and was among those who oversaw the marriage between him and Ilia,” Raven responded as they entered the final hallway that led to the entrance of the tomb, his voice grievous as he walked along the path. “Never had I been more proud of a warrior I trained, and never had I felt more pain than when he passed away.”

Link kept silent as he noticed hoarseness in Raven’s voice, as well as the grip on his staff tightening while talking on the matter. Whatever had happened must have affected him severely, and had bore on him for a long time. “…Do you know how my father died,” Link asked, looking to Raven as they made it to the stone that blocked the way, making both stop in their tracks. A silence hung between the two for a short time before Raven turned to the boy, his gaze hard.

“…I cannot give the answer you seek yet, as I have yet to muster the courage to speak it,” Raven finally spoke, turning to the stone as he moved his hand to the inside of his robes, pulling out a white gem of a similar style to Link’s. As he placed it on the stone, the doorway out began to open, showing the light of the sun hanging high overhead. Raven moved out into the path, Link following behind quickly as he continued. “When you have reached the age of thirteen, I promise to you that I will personally tell you the events of that day and of how your father died. However, the wounds caused by it still sting when brought up, despite what time that I have had to remember it.”

To this, Link only nodded as Raven moved to the hut, walking inside as Link stopped just at the edge of the steps. “Well, he seems rather solemn despite reclaiming bits of his items,” came a voice, making Link look overhead to find Kaepora flying above him. “The graves of ancient heroes, both remembered and forgotten, all rest in this place. It is said that they guard it in death, if any come to defile it without the rights of passage.” 

“I feel sorry for any who may try to,” Link spoke as he looked to the passage, the doorway now sealed in the decorative designs of the stone once again. Link then looked up to the owl again, his gaze hardened. “Do you know of anything else of Raven besides the fact he is the commander of the knights?”

 “Only that he had lost what remained of his family within the Knights order during the final years of the Civil War, and that it is only now which he has begun to try to push past the loss he has felt for the past decade,” Kaepora spoke, making Link’s eyes widen as he looked to the hut. Kaepora landed beside the boy, making Link look up at the owl as its head turned to the hut as well. “Give him the time he asks for, and he will eventually reveal that you wish to know.”

With that, the owl flapped its wings, rising as Epona moved to Link’s side, nuzzling the boy as he looked at the hut.

Several minutes passed as Link waited by the hut before Raven finally walked out of the entrance, this time in a far different attire and look than Link had first seen him in. his tattered cloak was now replaced with an outfit that seemed of a similar attire to how Link had seen in the clothing of some of the noble classes in the marketplace outside of Hyrule Castle, wearing a silver tunic with gold designs along the cloth, with the Triforce placed upon the upper left part of his chest. On his shoulders hung a common cloak with a similar design to the shirt on the inner parts of it, the outside being a normal brown while Link could only catch glimpses of a scarlet cloth on the inside of it. Outside of this, the blade with Raven took from the tomb now sat at his waist with several small pouches, while he still kept hold of his staff without any changes.

“Sorry for the wait,” Raven spoke as he walked down, putting the staff under his armpit as he adjusted his sleeves. “It’s been a while since I’ve had to wear this attire, and even longer since I’ve left this place.”

Link only stared as Raven walked up to him, the old man looking down at the boy as Link noticed that the old man had cut his hair to a moderate amount, while at the same time he tied his beard together and had clearly trimmed it to where it was several inches less than it was before. No longer looking like a hermit, the old man looked more like the commander that he bore the title of. “So where are we going?”

“First, we’ll be going to Lon Lon Ranch so I may find myself a horse, given my relations with Talon,” Raven spoke, catching Link’s attention as Raven walked past the boy. “Then we’ll head to the castle town marketplace to stock up on supplies for the journey afterwards.”

“Where will we be going after that?” Link asked, making Raven smile as he turned to the boy.

“After that, we’ll be heading directly to the old training grounds north of Zora’s Domain, where many of the greatest knights have trained,” Raven spoke, turning back to the path before he began his walk again. Link pulled himself up onto Epona and followed behind, the horse trotting at the same pace of the man as they made their way to the entrance. “During our travels I’ll teach you some of the basics of the sword and shield stances within the Knights, but the way you implement them will depend on how you use them over time. This will give me a good understanding of what kind of style to train you in later on.”

“Okay then,” Link responded, the two now moving to the entrance of the area as he kept his gaze to Raven.  "Will there be anyone at the training grounds as well?"

"There should be, it's among the few places we have kept secret for countless generations," Raven responded, his gaze focused on the trail as his staff tapped upon the stones.  Before long, the two had made their way through the pathway and were making their way to the gate in between them and Hyrule field.  "In older times we had trained some soldiers we deemed worthy upon the grounds as well, but those days have long passed."

Link just kept his gaze on the man, noticing him move his cloak to where his outfit couldn't be seen through it.  However, his mind soon wandered on what Raven said of Ganondorf, and of his potential return. 'What threat lives in the desert that can pose a threat as great as Ganondorf from the former future...'  Link thought as he looked up at the sky, soon hearing a humming coming from Raven as the old man kept ahead.

It had been several hours since Ganondorf had started digging around the stone, but he had managed to get a fair amount of the upper part cleared.  'The ancient race said to have lived here since before the Gerudo settled in the valley...' Ganondorf thought as he backed away from the structure in front of him, his gaze now looking upon the upper layers of an arch.  upon it were various inscriptions in old Hylian, but the translation was known to all who lived in the desert: 'To those who journey through the desert, beware the entities within this cave, for ye who threatens to awaken them shall unleash a force of far greater evil than the world has seen in centuries.'

"The cavern exists..." Ganondorf simply muttered, a sinister grin curling no his face.  Then, as if a new power revitalized him, he turned and left the arch to return to the valley.  He completely intended on returning, and with a group of Gerudo to help clear the sand from around and under the arch.  Then, once the work was done, he would see what evil truly sat in the cavern within.  But until then, he could only prepare: prepare for his aims within the cavern, and for his return to Hyrule itself...

Chapter Text

The sun had just reached the center of the sky as Link rode into Lon Lon Ranch with Epona, Raven not too far behind as he walked with his staff. As he did so, he noticed Talon standing in front of the cow pens talking to Ingo, while he heard a familiar singing voice as he slowed Epona down to a stop as Raven walked up beside him. As the old man did, however, Talons gaze turned to him in shock as Raven tapped his staff on the ground, causing it to stand in place as he left it where it was. Link just followed behind as the rancher moved to greet Raven, a smile on his face as he did so. "Well, I haven't seen you around these parts in years Raven," Talon spoke, a smile on his face as he placed his hand on the old mans shoulder, soon turning his gaze to Link. "And I see you've come here with one of our regulars."

"This is the first I've heard of him being a regular," Raven responded as he turned to Link, who just looked down towards Epona embarrassed. Raven then chuckled as he turned back to Talon, a smile clear on his face. "I guess that means he has more of Linus in him than I thought, if he's making his way to Lon Lon Ranch so much."

"Linus," Talon asked as he looked over at Link, looking him over as he kept his smile. "I had my suspicions with his hair and eyes, but his tunic threw me off when I first met him."

"You knew Linus," Link asked, his eyes now on Talon as the man's smile began to fade, a more somber look now in his eyes.

"He was a regular here, getting supplies for the troops at Hyrule castle while his wife was a good friend of Malon's mother," Talon spoke as he looked over to Raven, concerned. "You mean he doesn't know who his family is?"

"Not completely, but he knows of Ilia and Linus' fates and the kind of people they were," Raven confirmed, turning over to Link as Talon kept his gaze on the old man. "Can I ask you to wait for a bit while I talk to Talon in private. There are some things I need to discuss with him about."

"Sure," Link responded, confused by the sudden change in Talon's tone and demeanor. Talon, on the other hand, only walked over to Link and patted his shoulder gently.

"To think that you really were Linus' kid," Talon spoke, some of his cheer returning as he turned over to Raven. "Let's talk over in the house. I have a few questions that I need answering as well, now that I have them."

Raven only nodded as he walked over to the area, Talon soon following as Ingo just moved back to working. Link, on the other hand, soon moved Epona to a trot as he went towards the singing. As he did so, his eyes soon found a red-haired girl standing in the center of the horse tracks, the horses around her slowly grazing as she kept up her song. Epona, hearing the tune, moved through the fenced area, moving towards the girl faster as she stopped singing, now noticing the two. "Fairy boy," the girl shouted as she ran over to him, a smile on her face as Epona slowed down to a stop in front of her, nuzzling the girl as Link got off of the horse. "What brings you here today?"

"Hey, Malon," Link spoke, keeping his gaze on her as Malon gave a light hug around Epona's neck. "I came with a knight who is looking for a horse to ride, but it looks like he has some things to talk about with your dad."

"A knight," Malon asked, her eyes sparking with interest as she looked over to Link, immediately moving closer to him. "Does that mean you're going to become a knight like you wanted?"

"Hopefully," Link spoke sheepishly, backing away from the sudden attention he got as Epona nudged her head into Malon's back. "He plans to train me first, and in order to do so we have to go somewhere up north past Zora's Domain, after getting the necessary supplies for it."

Malon just kept her focus on him as she moved to where she could pet Epona, who was still aiming to catch her attention. Outside of the few friends he had, Malon was one of the closest who knew he wanted to become a knight, and had been pushing him to aim for that. When he was rejected from joining the trainees for the Hylian soldiers, she was the first to know about it and spent time with him that day to keep his spirits up. "Well it's nice to see you finally getting something you wanted," Malon responded, her smile still clear on her face as she looked over at his chest. "What's that you're wearing?"

Link looked down to what she was staring at, soon seeing the white gem he had obtained from the entryway to the old grounds he found Raven. During their trip towards Lon Lon, Raven had told him the gem was meant to be worn as a necklace, regardless of how the stone had wrapped it around Link's arm. Despite that, however, Link felt a bit odd wearing it like he was now, though at the same time feeling like it was right. "It's a necklace signifying that I'm going to be taught by him," Link said, lifting the necklace off his neck and handing it over to Malon, who just raised it up into the sun and stared in wonder. "It apparently signifies the rank I'll might get while I'm training with him."

"Seems a bit much though, doesn't it," Malon asked as she lowered it, handing it back to Link as Epona finally moved to eat with the other horses. "Either way, it's great to see that you're finally getting what you want."

"Yeah," Link replied, smiling before he turned to look back to the house, where Raven and Talon were talking. "Also, Talon seemed really strange with how he acted with the Raven, the knight I came with. He apparently knew him and my parents."

"Dad knew your parents," Malon asked, her gaze widening as Link nodded. "Why didn't he tell you?"

"He didn't figure it out till Raven said something about it," Link responded, making Malon look at him confused. "Turns out Raven had trained my father to be a knight, and had been close to him from that time onward. I was honestly surprised about it myself."

"So your father was also a knight," Malon asked, only getting a nod from Link as the two began to walk to the center of the fenced area. "Well, I guess that means I won't be able to call you fairy boy for long."

"All for the better, in my opinion," Link responded with a laugh. The name came from their first meeting, and she had even kept to calling him it in the future timeline, and it had been annoying in a sense. Regardless of how he felt about it at first, however, he begrudgingly found that he was starting to like it. "Either way, do you want to play some music for the horses?"

"Depends on if you've brought your ocarina," was all Malon responded with, making Link smile as he shuffled into his bag and pulled out the small blue instrument. Then, with a smile on her face, Malon began singing as Link put the ocarina to his lips, joining into the song as the day continued.

Link didn't know how long he played his ocarina with Malons singing, but by the time they had finished they noticed Raven and Talon coming out of the house and towards them, Talon seeming a bit more like his usual self than before while Raven had his staff back in his hand. "So that's where the music was coming from," Raven spoke, looking at the two kids as Link put away his ocarina. Talon, on the other hand, moved to grab a brown horse near Malon as Raven looked to the two. "Music has always bore power in the world we live in, so it's always good to hear it continued."

"You sure you two don't want to stay for lunch," Talon asked as he waved Ingo over to take the brown horse beside him. The tall man just huffed as he walked over from the barn, Talon's gaze returning to Raven. "Malon's been learning how to cook recently and has made some incredible meals."

"Sadly time won't allow us to, if we want to reach our destination without any problems," Raven responded as Ingo took the horse from Talon, moving to the barn as Raven's gaze returned to Link. "And given our destination and this boy's attire, we're going to need to get him some clothes to be able to go through the weather without issues."

"Still running short on time then, Raven," Talon sighed, looking to the old man before he looked back to Link, his mustache moving as if he was thinking of something. "I think I have something that's a good parting gift for both of you, regardless, now that I know who his parents are."

With that Talon turned and ran to the house, reminding Link of his first meeting with the man waking him up. 'He seems more awake this time around, though he's hardly ever been outside of the house with all his cuccoos,' Link thought as Raven turned to Malon.

"So I'm guessing you're Talon's daughter," Raven spoke as Malon looked down sheepishly. "You certainly take to your mother more than your father, though."

"That's what Talon says," Malon replied, looking back up at the old man with a smile. "So are you really going to be teaching Link?"

"As well as I'm able to, though I feel his training will be based on how he can implement it," Raven spoke as he looked over to Link, a smile clear on his face. "Despite his age, he has enough experience to withstand attacks which would knock men several times his size back, so I hope to see great results from him."

That made Link look down at the grass with his face burning red. Though he had fought though the future of Hyrule and Termina in order to save both, he wasn't expecting this praise he got from Raven after their own match showed the clear difference between the two. "I hope so, he'll need to eventually find something that will keep me from calling him fairy boy," Malon responded with a smile, making Link's face grow redder as Raven chuckled.

"I'll try my best to make sure he does," Raven chuckled before he turned, Talon running back at the same speed as before as Ingo walked towards them with the horse again, now with a saddle and reins. "Seems Talon is eager to bring you what he wanted."

As he finished his statement, Talon had finally made it to them, panting as he had his hand had hold of what looked to be a blanket holding something. "It took a while to find it, was sitting in the same chest as my wife's old items," Talon panted as he handed the makeshift bag over to Raven, who took it before he unfolded it. As soon as he did, however, his hands trembled as he looked at the contents while Link and Malon moved to look at it. Hidden in the blanket was a set of silver gauntlets, both inlaid with a golden design of the Triforce on each of them with white gems in the center. "Linus had those made for you shortly before his passing, meant for us to keep them here till it reached your birthday. I think he'd want you to have them now, given circumstances."

Raven just stared at them, nodding as he wrapped them back up. Then, he turned and handed them back to Talon. "As much as I would like to take them, I can't hope to yet without it hampering my training of his son," Raven spoke as he looked to the man, a small smile on his face. "In the meantime, can you hold onto them for a bit longer?"

"Of course, take your time," Talon responded, nodding his understanding as he looked over to Link. "It's still a shame I didn't realize who he was the son of till you told me about it, though. I'll need to do something to make it right with Linus and Ilia before I reach the afterlife."

"Well don't go counting on that yet, Talon," Raven responded as Ingo finally made it to them, his gaze as harsh as ever as he looked over to Raven and Talon. Raven just nodded to Ingo, pulling out a few blue rupees from somewhere under his cloak before handing them to the farm aid before he pulled himself up onto the horse. The immediate sight of the rupees changed Ingo's look completely as he looked at the compensation he was given. "I'm sure that out of anyone that has met him, your family has done the most through giving him a horse and a friend through Malon."

"I hope you're right," Talon responded as Link looked over to Malon, who just stared at Raven as the man kicked his heels lightly into the horse, starting it into a trot. "You should at least go a few rounds around the track before you make your way out, though."

"Knowing how long it's been, I think I'll take you up on that," Raven spoke as he looked back over to Link and Malon. "Link, once I've gotten my old memory of riding back, we'll be immediately departing to the Castle Square to get our gear for the trip."

Link only nodded before Raven turned ahead of him, now kicking into the horse harder and taking off out of the open gate, turning immediately onto the track as Malon watched on. "So he's a knight," Malon asked as she watched Raven riding around the track, Talon now standing beside the two kids as Ingo moved to go back to the barn. "I imagined him to look more dashing..."

"If you gave him a good shave and haircut, you'd probably see him as something like your imagination," Talon responded, making the two kids look at him confused as Talon watched the old man ride. "I expected the death of his wife and Linus to affect him worse than this, though, so it's good to see that he still walks among the living at least."

"He lost his wife in the Civil War," Link asked, making Talon look at the boy with a more somber smile.

"He lost far more than that," Talon spoke, looking back to Raven as Link remembered Kaepora's words on Raven's loss. Malon noticed the tone change in Talon's voice, and looked over at him worried while Epona moved over beside Link. "Link, I know I shouldn't put this on a kid, but promise me that no matter what happens, you'll stick by him."

"Sure, but why are you-"

"There we go, seems my riding hasn't ended up too sloppy," Raven spoke as he came back into the fence, interrupting what Link had to say as he looked over to Link. "We should start making our way towards Castle Town while the sun is still up, the last thing we need is being on the other side of the gate when Stalchildren rise up."

Link only nodded, looking back to Talon as the man walked past Raven. "Don't go overworking yourselves now," Talon spoke as Malon followed, her worried gaze still there as she walked up beside her father. Link only processed what Talon had said before he turned and pulled himself up onto Epona, focusing his mind on their current task as Raven looked over to him.

"Shall we," came Raven, only getting a confirming nod from Link as the two started moving out of the gate. As soon as they did, Raven snapped his reins and let his horse move into a gallop, Epona following quickly behind him as the two Hylians made it to the exit of the ranch, now moving directly towards the gates of the castle town. As Link looked at the sky, he noticed that the sun had already reached the edge of the horizon, reminding him of how long the day had currently been.

"Once we get to Castle Town and get our supplies, we won't be able to leave till tomorrow morning," Raven spoke as he looked over to Link. "During that time, I'd like us to make a stop at the castle itself so I may discuss some matters with the king."

"Okay," Link spoke as he looked ahead towards the castle gates, soon seeing it closing in already as the sun hung fairly high over the West. "What are we going to be getting for the trip?"

"some supplies and gear for the journey," Raven spoke as the two made it past the draw bridge, soon coming to a stop as a guard moved to meet them. "But more importantly, I think you should get an outfit outside of your tunic, given the major conditions we'll be going in."

Raven's horse was soon stabled as Link let Epona run out into the field, knowing how much she wouldn't like being locked in a stable after how long they'd been traveling. After the arrangements were done, Raven and Link ended up in a deeper part of the castle town than he had known about before, taking a turn just before the main market square to find a wider area with different stores. "I'm guessing you already know this location," Raven asked as he looked over at Link, who shook his head as they moved towards a tailor. "This place is an area where nobility or high officials tend to use for obtaining clothing. Since we'll be visiting the castle after our supplies are made for, I think it'll be a good thing to have an outfit ready for the trip over there."

As soon as they entered the shop, a fairly slender man turned from a set of cloth and bowed to them. "Welcome to Nayru's Bliss, how may I be of service," the man spoke as he raised his head, causing Raven to smile as he walked to the man. By the time he made it to the man, however, they were smiling. "Well, Raven, it's been too many years."

"It's been some time, Romon," Raven spoke with a smile, patting the man on the shoulder. As he did, Link walked in behind him, looking over the area in detail. Before him was a room filled with various forms of cloth, from silk to cotton to several other kinds he hadn't seen before. He could swear he saw some of the same cloth used by the Gorons and Zora's for the Hylian gear they sold. As he finally made it to Raven, the old man patted Link's shoulder. "I'm here to get this boy some decent clothes for when I head to Hyrule Castle with him, as well as some clothes for the trip into the colder regions north. Don't want people thinking little of him because he couldn't pick out his wardrobe."

"Understandable, given the position you bear," Romon responded with a smile, looking Link over with interest. "Your clothing isn't like any I've seen for some time… Tell me, is it made out of materials from the Lost Woods?"

"Uh, I think so," Link spoke, surprised at his immediate guess and how close it was to the truth. "I don't know about the materials themselves, but the clothes are all made in the Kokiri Forest."

"You mean the mythical home of the children of the forest," Romon spoke, puzzled. Link only nodded before the tailor looked up at Raven. "How long will it be till you head to the castle?"

"Sunset," Raven responded as he looked over to Romon, Link himself noticing a glint in Romons eye. "I could've gotten the clothes at another place, but I picked yours since I know how fast you can work with attire."

"I haven't been renowned for my trade from working with nothing," Romon responded with a smile before looking down at Link again before looking to Raven. "If it'd be alright, I'd like to lend him some clothes while I work with the tunic he currently has. With a basis to go off of through his clothes, I should be able to make something that he could consider comfortable before sunset."

"That's not up to me here," Raven spoke as he looked over at Link, who just turned from the tailor and back to Raven confused. "While it is ideal for you to have proper attire, whether or not it fits is up to you, if you want."

"…If it's alright, I'd like to see what he can do with them," Link spoke, getting a giant smile coming from Romon as the tailor ran into the back to get Link some new clothes. In truth, his Kokiri outfit had started to become smaller than he could wear compared to before, despite him having an adult set in the future. Regardless, this wasn't the adult timeline where the tunic had fit snugly, and he'd need to eventually have some better attire for later on. As he thought this, the tailor had come back with a darker green tunic with some brown pants to go with it.

"There's a room to change in over by the more defined cloth to the right of us, if you need it," Romon spoke, getting a nod from Link before the boy took the clothes from the man, turned, and moved towards the area. While Link moved, he heard their conversation progressing over the price of it all as he moved past the threads to the left of the shop entrance, soon finding the room in question. Then, taking off his cap as he entered the room, he shut the door.

The two men continued their talk on the prices until they heard the click of the door shutting, to which their conversation changed almost fluently. "So you two will be heading north after your trip here," Romon asked as he walked over to his work table, getting a simple grunt of confirmation from Raven as the old man rested his free hand on his sword's hilt. "Does that mean he's your new student?"

"One that is far more eligible than the others people have shown me over the years," Raven spoke as he looked to the man, a smile on his face. He then tapped his staff onto the ground, causing it to glow lightly for a brief moment before he looked to the entrance. "Looks like the Sheikah are overlooking this area already, despite my attempts to keep my reappearance small till I enter the castle grounds."

"Understandable, they haven't seen you outside of the old grounds in over a decade," Romon spoke as he walked over to his worktable, a smile still clear on his face as he pulled out a small piece of paper and pulled an ink well over to him with a clean quill. "So the boy, I haven't seen him among the kids that have been with the current Knights. What makes him so special to enter the old grounds?"

"He's Linus' son, and the boy who warned the Royal Family of Ganondorf's deceit," Raven spoke, making Romon stop momentarily as he was reaching for a quill. "If it's alright, I'd like you to keep quiet on your involvement with the Knights for now."

"That way you can teach him from the ground up," Romon asked as he began drawing a design on the paper, his eyes overlooking it as if not caring for the answer. "No need to worry on my part, and you won't need to worry over any of the other Knights and their students interfering with your training. Most of them are either training abroad or over near the training grounds near the Gorons."

"That's good to know," Raven responded as he moved to the wall beside the worktable, leaning back as he looked towards the entrance of the area. As he did, they both heard the door to the changing room open, soon causing Romon to finally tear his gaze from his work as he turned to see Link walk out from behind the silk with his old clothes in his hand. Link just looked over his clothes as he walked out behind the area, the Tunic being a tad bigger than he was used to while the pants had to have the belt better wrapped around them in order to hold them up. As Link looked up at Raven, however, the old man gave a nod to him as he moved off the wall. "Now you have an outfit that fits with the locals. Now, we find some gear to prepare for our journey."

Link only nodded, moving to hand over his Kokiri clothes to Romon as he felt the wind on top of his head, making it feel colder than he usually was. "I can keep your hat in mind while I work on your attire for tonight," Romon offered, making Link look up with a smile.

"Sure, if it's possible," Link responded as Romon placed the clothes by the sketch, now pulling out a ruler as he sized up the clothes themselves.

"I'll have your payment ready by sunset," Raven spoke as he motioned Link to follow as he walked past him, making the young boy follow as Romon looked over the Kokiri clothes one last time. Then, turning back to his sketch, he went back to work.

Chapter Text

"That is a lot of stuff," Link spoke as he looked at what Raven now had in his hand, the man now having finished searching through the area in it's entirety for the items they needed. During their work through finding the items they needed, Raven kept writing slips after paying for the items, having them sent to the Castle since that would be their last destination. Now, after going through the area and grabbing several things, Raven had link following him through the Central market, an abandoned Happy Masks Shop now to the right of the entryway to the castle. "Was that all we needed?"

"Indeed, but it's still a tad too early for us to head to the castle," Raven spoke as he looked to the Temple of time, the sun now resting to the South end of it as it moved closer to the castle wall. "If we had a bit more time, I'd like to find some fishing rods to catch some of the fish in the area we're heading to. They tend to grow quite nicely despite the cold weather they live in."

"So it's finally time to head to the Castle," Link asked, his hand subconsciously reaching up to his head and scratching it as he felt the breeze hit it. Throughout their walk through the area, the only thing that Link was against was his loss of his hat, given how much he had been attached to it since he had fist left the Kokiri Forest. Raven only chuckled as he turned around and had Link following him, the two taking the pathway to Nayru's Bliss as Link followed behind.

"Yes, though it may still be a bit early," Raven responded as he motioned Link to follow. As they did, Link noticed several figures on the rooftops as the old man walked ahead. Among them, Link spotted the faintest glimpse of silver hair as one of the figures vanished over the roof. "They want us to know they're watching."

Link almost jolted at Raven's response as he looked at the old man. "You already know," Link asked as Raven looked back, holding up a small cloth that had a symbol of a familiar eye, bringing back bitter memories to Link from his time in the Shadow Temple. "The Sheikah."

"They left this near the doorstep of our last stop," Raven spoke as he closed his hand, turning back to the path as they found their way back to the tailor's shop. "They've kept an eye on us since we entered this place the first time, maybe since we entered the area."

"Only because you've not shown yourself in over a decade," came a voice, making the two turn to a fairly large cart as a woman stepped out from behind it. "And when you finally reappear, it's with the boy who came from the forest to warn the Royal Family of Ganondorfs treachery."

"Impa," Link spoke, making Raven turn to the boy with a smile as he looked back to the Sheikah, who just kept her gaze on the man.

"Given the potential threat that will come from Ganondorfs actions, I felt it necessary," Raven responded as he looked to Impa, his staff starting to glow as he looked at the rooftops. "Especially with all the things I learned from this boy here through my own conversations with him."

Link just looked at the old man, noticing a clear change in his tone as Impa walked forward. "One thing's for certain," Impa spoke as she looked at Raven, her gaze still stern as she soon stood face to face with the man before a smile appeared on her face. "You still have that unbridled courage to face the odds."

"Call it the curse of my family," Raven replied with a smile as the glow faded from his staff, his hand soon moving to his pouch before tossing it to Link. Link just caught it confused as Raven kept his gaze on Impa. "Go ahead without me, and tell Romon I got stalled by a friend along the way in. He should have your clothes ready if they're all here."

Link just nodded before he turned and walked over to the tailor, his eyes catching several shapes moving on the rooftops again as they seemed to leave the area.

As soon as he entered the area, he spotted Romon cleaning a set of boots as he looked up to the boy. "Ah, you're here," Romon spoke as he got up, moving to his table before he looked over to Link. "Where's Raven?"

"He got stopped by a friend," Link responded, making Romon sigh as he motioned Link to come over as he turned back to the work table, two wrapped bags set on the table side by side. Link moved over confused, eyeing his hat on top of the bag on the right as Romon set the shoes on the bag to the left. "You've already finished them?"

"Of course," Romon spoke as he looked to the boy with a smile, making Link back up confused. "When it comes to some of my favorite people to work for, I make sure my products are finished fast and with efficiency when needed."

"However, I do wish that I could've gotten the chance to work more on your own attire," Romon spoke as Link just looked at the man confused, taking his hat off the bag to the right before he put it on as Romon continued. "I couldn't work too much on it without the potential of damaging the fabric, and there really wasn't much I could do with the fabric either since it held so much magic within it. With what I've seen of it, though, I bet I can make you something you'll love if you ever come here again."

"I don't think I can pay you by then," Link spoke as he looked at Romon, who just laughed as he looked over at Link.

"You can pay by bringing back a blue flower that shines in the night, something which should grow around the area north of Zora's Domain," Romon responded as he looked back to the two bags, which made Link look at him confused. "The flowers are among the only plants which can grow in those cold conditions without frost bite, and are considered among the few items blessed by the gods. I already have some with me, so you can pay for any future products with those flowers, if you can manage to find any."

Link just looked at the man confused before nodding, soon pulling out the pouch as the man continued his speech. "The bag on the left is your nicer clothes you'll be able to wear at the Castle, while the bag on your right are your usual clothes with an extra set made for colder conditions," Romon spoke as Link picked up the shoes off the bag, finding they had apparently been made to match Link's own feet as he looked at the bag. "I had a feeling you wouldn't like the tight fit most nobles clothes have, given that's how Raven normally is with his own personality, so I came up with a design meant more for maneuverability while also upholding the finer parts of a person training under him."

Link just nodded as he looked at the bag, then back out at the entrance to see Raven talking with Impa, the two now having moved to an area further from the tailor's shop. "Can I change into them in here," Link asked as he looked over to Romon, who already had his gaze on Raven as Link picked up the bag. "I have to still give you these clothes back anyway."

"Of course," Romon spoke as he looked over to Link, his gaze seeming a bit harder as he looked over to the two again. "Looks like you two will be going to the castle sooner than you may have intended, given there's a Sheikah out there with him."

Link only nodded, soon moving over towards the changing room before he stopped. "Oh right," Link spoke, turning back to Romon as the man looked to him confused. Link just pulled out Ravens pouch with a smile, his own smile appearing. "I was told to give you your payment when I got these."

"So Ganondorf has vanished from the Gerudo Valley," Raven spoke as he sat on a small bench, his staff now resting beside it as Impa looked over to him. With a sigh, he clasped his hands together as he looked up at the Sheikah. "I had heard rumors from Kaepora over it, but to think that the rumors were true…"

"He may have been sentenced to exile by the Gerudo for his failure," Impa suggested, making Raven look up to her. "…Is what I'd like to say, but the fact that his curses on the Gorons and Zora still had to be removed over a month after his disappearance has me worried."

"The magic he used was tied to his very being," Raven spoke as he looked to the ground ahead of him, his own gaze hard. "Gerudo magic holds sway so long as the user remains alive, and the remaining curse that has affected the Lost Woods is still within the areas of its trees. So, by this knowledge alone we can gather that he still lives and is more than likely planning his next move."

"But where could he have gone in order to vanish from us," Impa asked, her gaze looking over to the tailor. "Is his disappearance the reason you have Link with you?"

"Partially," Raven spoke as he looked up at the store, seeing Romon staring directly at them before he raised one of his fingers. Romon, taking the response, turned back to his own work as Impa looked over. "There's a danger far worse than anything else you all may have faced in the Civil War, one which has been kept secret since the time before the founding of Hyrule. Only three knew of its location among the Knights, and two of them are dead while the third has no recollection of its whereabouts. Regardless of if they remembered, however, they probably wouldn't wish to reveal that place in fear of actually showing Ganondorf the way to it."

"So you're planning to prepare the future generations to face that threat," Impa concluded, making Raven nod as she walked towards the cart. "So why have the boy go with you?"

"Because out of all the children I've seen, he's the closest to having the potential to master the older arts of the Knights," Raven spoke as he straightened himself up, looking back over to Impa as he smiled. "During my testing of his strength, despite his age, he was able to keep his shield in his arm after a direct strike from one of my attacks."

"What," Impa gasped, looking over to the shop now as she processed what he said. "I knew he had come here with the Spiritual Stone of the Forest, but I didn't expect him to have that much potential."

"And why shouldn't he," Raven asked as he looked back at her, his gaze now harder as Impa looked over to him. "Despite him being a boy, his strike and stance shows a warrior that has been hardened by many adventures, and that itself is without any training outside of the Kokiri style. His worth was even tested by the stone guarding the old grounds, and it placed him to have the potential to be among the highest ranks of the Knights, something only a handful of us ever obtain."

Impa just stared at Raven as he leaned back forward, muttering several words to himself before his staff glowed again. "You're never one for training people solely because of their potential," Impa spoke as Raven picked himself up, reaching over and grabbing the staff as Romon peaked over at the two from his work. "What makes Link so special outside of that."

"To answer that would reveal a truth that must remain secret for now," Raven responded as he tapped his staff, causing the air to seemingly shake as he saw Romons gaze turn to the area of the changing room. At the same time, Impa's gaze turned to the pathway out, noticing three forms that had not been at the entrance of the area before. "We have company."

Link had just finished readjusting his shield and sword as he was walking out of the changing room, his head now wearing a cap similar to his other one but with several more designs. The attire he was wearing looked similar to what he had seen several higher ranked soldiers wearing while they were in the main castle market, though it held a similar design as his tunic in it's size and shape. At first glance, Link had thought he had grabbed the wrong bag and grabbed his Kokiri tunic instead with how similar the two had looked, but the design of the triforce on both sides of the shoulders with the bird in the center of his back made the design feel more noble. This design even went to the hat, which held the designs of the seals of the Six Sages with the Triforce resting in the middle area of the cap.

"It's based roughly on this piece of paper I found in your tunic, if you're not too mad with me finding it," Romon spoke as he pulled out a piece of paper, revealing a drawing of the Center of the Temple of Light, something Link had made based off of his recollection of the area. "Needless to say, the different designs on each of the pedestals inspired me to work something similar into the hat, adding to the fact of the Triforce resting at the center. Was this a personal drawing?"

"…It was a vivid dream," Link responded, not wanting to reveal the location itself or of his time in the future. Regardless of the area being blocked off by the Master Sword, he couldn't shake off the chance that someone may try to enter the area for hope of finding the Triforce. As if subconsciously, his left hand felt as if it was heating up as Link took the paper from Romon. Then, pulling off the hat and looking over the symbols that were there, he smiled. "This looks really great, I'm really happy with it."

"I'm glad, it's been ages since I've gotten to work with some ideas like that," Romon spoke as he turned back to his worktable, picking up the remaining bag and handing over to Link. "You can place your regular boots and hat into here with your attire, it's been enchanted to hold multiple items without changing shape."

"I'm familiar with the concept," Link responded as he took the bag, looking down at the pouch on his side which already held his hat and boots despite it being a few sizes smaller than expected. Romon looked over to the pouch as well as Link took the bag as if understanding, though it made him sigh as he sat down.

"I'm guessing that's another item from the forest," Romon asked, making Link nod as he looked back to the tailor. "I figured as much. There are many mysteries that involve the children of the forest, and among those is their power over enchanting. I would've considered it a myth myself if I hadn't seen them during my trade."

Link just looked at Romon confused before the man's gaze turned to where Raven. "You won't be able to use the hat I made for you over in the Castle, sadly," Romon continued as Link placed the bag holding the clothes he had previously wore on the table beside Romon. "The design is meant for grand ceremonies due to the symbols on the rim holding major religious value, something you'll see occasionally given how Raven is. However, I still think you should wear it from time to time to get a feel for the fabric, given it will be able to stretch to fit your head even as you grow older. However, I made sure to make the outfit to where your usual hat should work fine with it."

"I understand," Link spoke simply as he placed the bag on his shoulder, soon pulling off the hat and folding it neatly before he placed it into his pouch, his hand soon finding his old hat before he put it on. "I'll try to get you the flowers you talked about if I ever see them."

"I'd appreciate it," Romon spoke as Link turned and started to leave the area. "And be sure to tell Raven that it was good seeing him again."

Link just smiled at Romon before he left the shop, soon finding Raven and Impa both staring at the entryway towards the area as he walked over to them. As he did, the two soon looked over to see him as Raven rested on his staff. "Looks like Romon did well with the time he had," Raven spoke as Link looked over to the entrance, seeing three figures there as Raven turned over as well. At first glance, they looked as if they were soldiers with how they had cloaks that had the Triforce, but the demeanor they held was something far different than what Link had seen in regular soldiers. Raven, noticing Link's gaze, simply turned over to the three as well. "They've been there since shortly after you entered Romons shop, and haven't moved since. Did the Castle send an escort for us, Impa?"

"If they did, then I would've been informed," Impa responded as she looked to the figures, her hands now down at her sides as if fluidly as Link noticed one of her hands moving close to her blade. "Even then, they would've immediately come over if they were. What do you think?"

"I think we should ask and find out," Raven responded as he moved towards them, his staff tapping along the steps as the other two followed. As he did, one of the men removed their hoods to reveal a Hylian with jet black hair, which made Raven smile as he moved faster towards them. "What, did you not want to wait for me to arrive at the Castle to welcome me?"

"And miss talking to you directly," the man asked as he walked forward, the two men clasping the other's hands as the black-haired man smiled. "The moment I'd let that happen is when Din's Fury burns us up."

"To be fair, I would've gone to you directly afterwards and you know it," Raven chuckled as Impa sighed, moving her arms back to their natural cross in front of her as Raven turned to Link. "This is Orvas, commander of the castle guard and the one who oversees most of their arrivals and departures."

"As well as the guard systems around the areas outside and inside the castle walls," the man responded as he looked over to Link, a more aggravated look on his gaze as Link kept his own gaze. "I remember that boy well from what I was told of him making it past all the guards so easily. He's made it so I've had to increase patrols around the Castle garden as well as add locations children can potentially enter among our watched areas."

This made Link look down at his feet, his face feeling hotter as Raven laughed. "That's how he got the information to Zelda, by out pacing your guard patrols," Raven asked as he looked over at Link, a bigger smile on his face. "Well, that just makes what potential you have even bigger, given only four other people have managed to break through his patrols without any of them knowing, outside of Impa of course."

"You're praising him for it," Orvas asked as he looked at Raven, making the old man turn back to the commander while keeping his grin. "The boy almost cost me my job."

"Well given how important his news was to the princess, I'd say it was worth the small blunder," Raven simply replied as he turned and walked over to Link. Then, turning back over to Orvas, he placed his hand firmly on the boys' shoulder. "Besides, given the travels this boy has gone through, I'd say it's no surprise that he managed to outpace the guards of the area."

Orvas just looked at Raven with a stern glare before sighing, slouching slightly as he closed his eyes. "I guess it was a good thing that he's the one who managed it instead of any thieves," Orvas spoke, soon straightening himself again before he nodded towards the pathway. "If you want, we should all head to the castle now. The king has already been informed of your presence and would like to know of the reason behind your arrival."

"As I thought he would," Raven spoke, tapping his staff on the ground as it's glow faded. Link just kept quiet as he looked over to Impa, who just shook her head at him as Raven turned to her. "I think we will probably manage to get to the castle easily with our current group."

"Then I'll go on ahead to inform the king that you'll be making your way there now," Impa spoke as she bowed slightly to Raven, soon tossing a deku nut on the ground before vanishing with the flash.

"Well, at least it's good to know that the Sheikah haven't changed all that much," Raven muttered as he turned to Orvas. "Well then, shall we be off?"

The group had little conversation on the trip to the castle, with the exception of Orvas and Raven discussing matters while Raven had Link tell him of how he managed to evade the guards. "So the fairy aided in finding out the guards locations as you went through, after finding the entrance yourself," Raven spoke to himself as the group entered into the main castle gates, Link overlooking the inner walls of the castle in wonders since he hadn't gotten to see them any of the times he had snuck in. "I remember one that aided me in a similar fashion back in Labrynna during my travels when I was aiding the people over there, but I didn't expect fairies to be used in a similar fashion here."

"I never even knew they could be implemented in such a fashion," Orvas spoke as they made their way through. "But from what I had heard, he hadn't used a fairy during his trek in to talk to Zelda."

"She left before we went into the castle area," Link replied, his gaze now falling on his hand. He also remembered the guard patterns from before time reset, but he couldn't say that due to how he had to keep the dual timelines secret. "My outfit blended with the leaves, so I used them as a way to get through to the area."

"So he did it without that fairy's aid at the end," Orvas spoke with a sigh, looking over to Raven. "And you knew they could be used like that?"

"Only if they choose to help, otherwise they don't let you anywhere near them," Raven responded as he looked over at Link, who just kept his gaze on the walls around them, looking at the designs of the Triforce that had been etched on each of the walls. "Given he was sent by the Great Deku Tree to inform the royal family, as well, it's no surprise that he had a fairy's aid in doing so."

"We'll soon be entering the throne room," Orvas spoke as he looked ahead, seeing a couple of guards the traditional Hylian armor as Raven looked ahead of them. As soon as they made it to the guards, Orvas and his men stopped. "This is as far as I'll go, given the king wishes to speak with you alone. I hope that we'll get to talk more before you head back out, though."

"As do I," Raven responded as Orvas turned and left, his men in tow as Raven looked over to Link. "Have you ever met the King of Hyrule before?"

"Only once," Link spoke, remembering his revelation to Zelda and her father, the man seeming far different from what Link had guessed back then. "It was brief, and only to confirm that I was telling the truth about Ganondorf, so it wasn't formal."

"Then think of this as your first lesson on formal etiquette," Raven responded as he turned to the doors and nodded to the guards. "Follow as I do and do not speak unless he speaks directly to you. I'm not very fond of it myself, but these are rules we have to deal with when addressing His Highness and the royal family."

"I understand," Link spoke as he watched the guards move to open the doors, revealing the same room he had seen when he first met Zelda. Raven soon handed his staff to one of the guards, soon motioning for Link to follow as he moved forward. As Link moved into the area, he noticed the garden window to the right of the throne, the grassy area now covered in the orange glow from the setting sun. 'I wonder if Zelda is watching us right now…' was all Link thought before he noticed a pink cloth huddled just under the window as the two walked forward, causing him to have a small smile. 'Nice to see that some things haven't changed.'

"Sir Raven," came a voice ahead of them, making Link turn to see a bearded man in regal attire sitting upon a throne, his stature seeming to give off a royal presence as Raven moved to the front of him with Link. Then, the old man kneeled down before the man with his head hung low, Link soon following suit as the man came off of his throne. "And I see you've brought a familiar face."

"I am sorry for my absence, King Gustaf," Raven simply spoke in response, making Link slightly tense. This was the first time he had actually heard the name of the king, with even Navi only addressing him as the King of Hyrule. It was then Link noticed the second thing: while guards had been present around the throne room when Ganondorf addressed the king, there were none here now with Raven. "I have long since overlooked my position and put this kingdom in jeopardy because of this."

"It is quite alright, my friend," the king responded, resting his hand on Ravens shoulder. "I have long since missed your council, and to find you returned to us is more than enough."

"Though it is a short-lived return," Raven spoke as he rose, his form now tall as he stood in attention to the king. "I've come in a time where we need to prepare for an inevitable war against the Gerudo."

"As I've heard from Impa, as well as your acquisition of supplies and having them sent here before your departure," Gustaf spoke as he sat back in his throne, Raven's stance changing to a more relaxed stance as the king waved his hand to Link. "I suppose that's why you've brought the boy who outed Ganondorf, as well?"

"Indeed, I intend to have him learn under me," Raven confirmed as he looked to Link, making Gustaf look at the two surprised. Raven then looked at the king with hard eyes, his voice now stern. "With the threat we may face due to the actions of certain individuals, we need all the strength we can in order to face it."

"If it's bad enough that you've taken on another apprentice, then it must be," Gustaf spoke as he looked over to Link, whose gaze now looked between the two older men as the king smiled. "But if it's this boy, then he can easily match your expectations."

"As he has when I tested him before," Raven spoke as he looked over to Link, who just looked down sheepishly as Raven turned back. "Besides this, I heard he's the reason you kicked Ganondorf out of the kingdom."

"Yes, he had told me of a future where the thief would become a tyrant over Hyrule," Gustaf confirmed, looking over to Link as the boy nodded at him. "He had warned of the man being evil in its plainest form before I sent Ganondorf away, but I still feel we shouldn't deal with them harshly yet."

"That may be the case in your eyes, but Ganondorf has gone further into the desert according to the Sheikah," Raven responded as he looked at the king. "We should still prepare a group to go and overlook them before they find a way to harm us even further."

"The Gerudo aren't anywhere near as powerful as they were decades back, especially with the vanishing of their leader into the desert," Gustaf responded as he looked to the window, making Link turn to see the pink hat of the Princess moving to hide under the window again. "The schemes of their leader have failed, so we can leave them as is for now."

"Just like you did when the Goron and Zora were harmed by Ganondorf," Link asked, making Gustaf turn to the boy shocked as Raven looked over to him. "The same inaction caused Ganondorf to release the Dodongo's where the Gorons get their food, and almost killed the Zora's Lord Jabu Jabu. To add to that, Ganondorf's curse killed the Great Deku Tree himself, and you're saying they aren't as strong as they used to be?"

"That's enough, Link," came Raven, making Link shut his mouth as he turned to the old man confused. Raven then turned to the king, his own gaze hard. "Though you're right that the Gerudo aren't as strong with their leader missing, this doesn't mean that their leader is weak, as has been made apparent with what Link has spoken of. If Ganondorf finds what he's seeking, and if he manages to take control of it, then we will be facing a power worse than anything we saw during the Civil War."

"We will see," Gustaf responded as he looked at Raven before waving his hand. As soon as he did, a man appeared beside him kneeling, his white hair and the eye on his outfit showing exactly who he was before Gustaf turned to him. "Tell Orvas and the other commanders to increase the defenses, as well as the training the guards have."

"As you wish," the man responded, soon jumping up towards the ceiling as Gustaf looked back to Raven. As Link looked up to follow the man, however, he found that he was nowhere to be seen.

"Does that suit your worries," Gustaf asked as Raven looked to him, a grim expression on his face as he kneeled before the king.

"It's a start, but it won't prepare you for what's to come," Raven responded as he looked to the king. "However, I can't let you come up with this without knowing what you'll more than likely face."

"Then if you're that worried, show me what it will be," Gustaf spoke, his gaze now hardened at the old man while Link kept in his standing position, his mind thinking through what was being said now. "Let me understand just what I should be facing. If there's nothing that you can show now, however, then you're free to leave."

"…As you command," Raven simply muttered as he dipped his head low before standing up. He then turned his back to the king and signaled Link to follow as he began to walk. "I'll stay within the castle tonight and train with some of your men in the morning to see how much they'll need to be ready. For all our sakes, I hope they require the minimum."

"Very well," Gustaf spoke as Link turned to the door, soon finding it opening while he followed Raven. As soon as it shut behind him, Raven sighed as he took his staff from the guard he gave it to. Then, simply waving Link to follow, the two soon began moving till they turned away from the throne room.

"No wonder why Ganondorf had managed to do what he had before I returned," Raven muttered as soon as he no longer saw any guards. "I expected Gustaf to be relaxed over the whole thing, but to see him wave off my advice so easily…"

"Shouldn't you have pushed action on it harder," Link asked as he looked at Raven, who only shook his head as they turned another corner, his gaze overlooking the path. "It looks like he would be okay with that kind of action."

"Honestly the only thing I wanted out of that was given, and he knows it," Raven spoke as he looked over to Link, the two finally stopping in front of a door. As he did, he rested his free hand on his blade's hilt. "If Ganondorf has gone to the desert then it will be near impossible to find him, given our last known records of the Gerudo Desert were back forty years ago, even among the Knights. The best thing we can do is prepare for what is to come, and the King knows that I will be showing a proper demonstration of how they'll be tomorrow morning."

"Then does that mean we'll be staying longer," Link asked, making Raven look over at him with a smirk. Link then looked around the area, thinking over what he just said. Every time he had been in a castle or large area, it had ended up being a dungeon or fortress, which only made him feel uneasy in this area. 'While I'd like to stay here a bit longer, I'd prefer to be more out in the open.' Link thought as he adjusted his shirt a bit.

"That depends on how well you'll be taking your first lesson in the swordplay of the Knights," Raven responded as he opened the door they had stopped at, revealing a large training ground where several rings sat with practice weapons similar to the ones Link had seen in his vision, while the closer rings to the door had a few guards sparring in them. Among them, Link noticed Orvas sitting over at the far wall to their left overlooking a few documents as Raven moved into the area. As Link followed behind, the guard captain looked up from his documents to see the old man as Raven took off his cloak, revealing his full outfit while leading Link to a training ring near the center. "You've got a good understanding of basic swordplay from what I saw with only a few swings, but now we'll be free to use all our abilities here, including your abilities with implementing magic."

Link just looked at him shocked as Raven set his cloak down on a chair sitting beside the training ring, Orvas now getting up to go meet the man as Raven set his staff down on it and began to unbuckle his belt. "Raven, you're out of the throne room earlier than I expected," Orvas spoke as he made it to the two Hylians, his gaze overlooking Raven as the old man placed his blade beside the other items he had. "How did your meeting with the king go?"

"As well as I expected, though with more difficulties than I'd have preferred," Raven responded as Link took his own sword and shield off, placing them on a chair sitting beside the one Raven put his stuff at while the old man walked over to one of the weapon racks, taking out a wooden longsword and testing it's weight as Link walked to the area and overlooked it. "Sadly, it looks like my word won't be enough to get him to listen, which mean's I'll be staying here for a while longer tomorrow before my departure with Link."

"If that's the case, I'll get some beds ready in the medical wing," Orvas responded as he looked over to some of the guards, Link watching as the men went through practice drills. "With how the soldiers have been recently, including the new recruits, you shouldn't expect much from them."

"It's because I don't expect much from them that I'll be treating them as I choose to," Raven replied as Link found a short wooden sword in the weapons rack along with a small shield his size, giving the blade a few swings before he adjusted the shield's grip on his arm. As he did, Raven simply nodded to Link with approval as he turned to Orvas. "I'll be having Link here aid me with my demonstration to the king tomorrow, so I would like for the grounds to be to ourselves tonight."

"You're sure a boy like him would do okay," Orvas asked, making Link look at him rather peeved before the man smiled. "Not that I don't doubt his character, but what makes you think he can help you?"

"He's faced enemies similar to the ones I wanted to warn the king about, so he'll be the best example on how to deal with them," Raven responded as he looked over to Link. "You can feel free to watch our training right now if you wish, once the other guards have left."

"I'll actually take you up on that," Orvas responded before he turned to the group of guards, now walking over and giving commands to them as Raven turned back to Link.

"Have you ever faced an Iron Knuckle," Raven asked, soon getting a nod from Link as the remaining guards in the area began to move out of the training grounds, some lighting torches on the walls as the orange glow of sunset began to darken to night. "Then this training will mainly be a refresher course for you on their second phase after you remove their armor, with the exception being a sword instead of an axe. Your goal in this is to dodge my attacks while trying to land blows."

"Understood," Link spoke as the two began walking to the center of the ring, Orvas now moving to watch them as the last guard left the area. As they made it to the center, Raven held his blade up in front of him before bowing to Link, who took it as a sign to do the same in turn before the two took their stances. Raven's stance was the same as it had been before, while Link's was more to his own liking given he had a shorter sword more fit for him than the sword Raven had given him in the vision. "Should I expect the same strength as you had where we met?"

"And more, since we'll be facing off for far longer and with more understanding of our opponent," Raven responded before he looked over to Orvas. "Could I get you to give us the start on this training?"

"Sure, if you're certain he can handle it," Orvas responded, holding his right hand up as Raven and Link looked to each other, both slowly circling the other as Link's gaze soon noticed how Raven's footing changed, each being light while also holding it's ground. Then, as if on cue, Orvas swung his hand down towards the ground. "Begin!"

Raven was the first to move, jumping towards Link with a similar jab he had used before in their fight in the illusion. Link immediately jumped right to the side of it, barely dodging the first strike as he swung his sword towards Raven's stomach. However, Raven's movements seemed to work like clockwork as he reangled his own blade down, blocking the strike as the old man muttered a few words under his breath. As he did, Link felt his hair stand on end before a shock went through his body, stiffening him as he forced himself to jump away from Raven, who took his stance again.

"Don't forget, we're using all our abilities in this fight," Raven spoke as Link shook his arms, regaining feeling in them from the shock as he raised his shield towards the old man. "That includes our magical abilities, if you can manage it."

Link just looked at the old man with harder eyes as he began to sidestep quickly around Raven, his mind now viewing the old man for the strength he actually possessed, remembering his loss to Raven before. With that in mind, Link drew his sword arm back, charging his magical power into it as Raven prepared for another attack with his sword overhead. As the old man moved forward, however, Link held his blade back, waiting for the right moment to strike. 'Wait till he gets within the circle,' Link thought as he looked at Raven approach before the old man swung down. 'Now!'

With that Link swung his sword and released the concentrated magic, causing the area around him to blast back with Raven included as he spun. When he stopped, he watched as Raven staggered back, a clear smile on his face as Orvas just gaped at what he saw. "So you do know how to use magic within your own weapons," Raven spoke as he spun his blade, his movements now seeming more like what Link saw in the illusion as Raven drew back his sword in preparation. "Then let's see how you'll deal with this kind of attack."

With that, Raven's own sword began to glow, signaling to Link the magic being produced in it as he raised his shield. 'However, the last time I took one of his attacks I was thrown back,' Link thought as he focused on the spells he knew, soon remembering one of his oldest abilities that he hadn't used since his time traveling to defeat Ganondorf. 'Let's see if I still remember it…'

With that Link focused on the magic in his mind, feeling through it before he found what felt like water as he watched Raven's blade grow brighter. As soon as it was ready, Raven swung his blade down, releasing a blade beam that sped towards Link while leaving a trail of dust following behind it. "Nayru's Love…" Link whispered under his breath, causing the magic to release around him in a defensive diamond as he raised his shield to take the attack, the beam smashing into the prism around Link and sliding him back as the attack was halted. As soon as the dust cleared, his gaze found Raven looking at him with a smile on his face.

"If I recall correctly, I said you needed to dodge my attacks, though I suppose I didn't expect you to have the blessing of Nayru's Love," Raven spoke as he lifted his blade back up, setting it on his shoulder as he looked over to Orvas, who just started at Link in shock as the defensive prism vanished around the boy. "Still think he's going to have problems helping with the demonstration?"

Orvas just kept staring for a moment longer before shaking himself out of it, looking over to Raven with a wide gaze. "You'll hear no more talk on it from me," Orvas confirmed as he turned to the door, soon walking to it. "I'll let you two have the rest of this on your own and go find you some food."

"If it'd be alright, can you also see if we have any rooms in the castle," Raven called over to the man, only getting a hand raised from him as the man walked out the door. Then, Raven turned back to Link as he took a stance. "Needless to say, I'd say your Kokiri style swordsmanship set his mind at ease."

Link just looked at him confused before he came to an understanding. "…You were letting me keep in my environment in defense over attack," Link spoke as Raven lifted the blade over his head, stretching for a bit as the boy looked him over. "You wanted him to see me actually fighting."

"Otherwise he wouldn't really understand why I chose to teach you outside of the castle grounds," Raven responded as he set his blade in front of him, resting on it as he looked to one of the lit torches. "While training nonstop and battles may give us experience in fighting, neither can give true strength. That comes from the adventures and experiences you have from living in the world around us."

Link just looked at Raven while nodding, understanding his thoughts on the matter as he looked down at his sword. "Is that how you gained your strength," Link asked, looking back up to the old man. The man just smiled before he went back to his stance, his blade now raised beside his head.

"The answer to that will depend on if you manage to lay a blow on me now," Raven spoke, Link only nodding as he took his stance again and started to circle the man. "You have a splendid defense now, even more so because you know you can't take my attacks, so now we need to work on your offense. If you manage to land a blow, then I'll let you hear about one of my stories."

"Yes sir," Link responded as he took his stance again, moving closer towards the man. Then, with two quick steps, he jumped forward and swung his blade towards the old man, beginning a quicker form of combat between the two. With every slash with Link's sword, Raven moved around it or redirected it with his own weapon as he backed around the ring.

"Good, you've already begun to figure out control over each strike," Raven spoke as he slid his blade along Links, only for the boy's shield to make contact with the weapon as Raven jumped back. As Link began moving back towards Raven, the man's body seemed to blur in Link's gaze, soon having the old man's blade at his neck. "Impressive for only having one match that taught you it, but you still have a few things to learn."

Link just looked at the blade confused as Raven drew it back, noticing the tip of his blade glowing. Then, looking at his shield, he noticed the same glow coming off it as Raven lifted his blade on his shoulder. "An illusion," Link spoke as the glow faded from both items, his gaze now turning to Raven. "In such a short time while we fought?"

"It was an ability I learned in Labrynna, during my travels for my own Trials of Virtue," Raven spoke as he looked to the wall that rested in the south. As he did, he lifted his arm as the shirt's sleeve moved slightly back, revealing a light bruise. "If you'd like, we can call your surprise attack on me the attack to grant you a story, if you're up for it. We'll both need our strength for tomorrow, anyway."

"Sure," Link responded, moving his own blade down as Raven walked along to the training weapons, soon allowing Link to notice a large array of training dummies beside them. "Was it the same as how you used the illusion magic to put us in that trance near the graves?"

"It is," Raven responded, picking up one of the dummies as he moved back to the center of the ring, setting it down as he moved several paces away. "I had learned it while training with a group of knights in the area, helping them out with their regiment for training at the time. It was during this time that we had stumbled upon some fairies that were up for playing tricks on the locals, and had found them casting illusions by simply touching an item and leaving the residual magic through it. After I had watched them use it, however, I tried learning the fundamentals of it for some time before making a similar form that can be implemented in either combat or for teaching, after I ended up learning the basis of the spell from a Great Fairy."

"So it was a fairy art," Link responded as Raven took up his attack stance again as he raised his weapon, the light slowly beginning to envelope into it as Link watched. "Is that the same way you learned to use that ability with the beam?"

"No, this has been an ability traditionally used by the Knights, and is one of the reasons I learned the power," Raven responded as he swung down the blade, causing a purple arc to come forth and hit into the dummy. As it did, however, the dummy remained unphased as it absorbed the light, now glowing with the same color as his weapon had. "However, after I learned how to use magic that could embed itself into other objects, I also learned how we could use our abilities in a far larger scale based around the elements we can command."

"So it's a mix of two techniques," Link responded as he looked at the dummy, the purple glow soon fading as Raven moved the sword in a mock manner of sheathing it. "How long did it take you to manage that?"

"Two years to figure out how to mock the fairy's abilities, three to implement it into the blade beam," Raven responded, his gaze still on the last remnants of the purple glow. Then, he turned to Link. "This is a form of magic that I've made myself, and it's something which I intend to teach you since you bear the same aptitude for the magics. It will pose to aid you well during any conflicts you may have with heavily armored figures, such as Iron Knuckles or Dark Nuts."

This made Link look down at his hand with the mark of the Triforce, his time at the Spirit Temple coming to his head. "Can I ask you something," Link asked, feeling the old man's gaze as he looked back up. "What is the difference between an Iron Knuckle and a Dark Nut?"