By Brandon B. (AKA Dragonas)

The Legend Of Zelda: The Apprentice (short version)

I was only twelve when I heard the news of Link’s success in Hyrule. I
had heard the stories about how after Ganon was defeated Zelda fell in
love with Link. Unfortunately Link loved Malon so Zelda flew into a
rage and ran into the Lost Woods never to be seen since.
I decided I would seek out this hero and learn from his skills, so I
armed myself with my father’s sword and shield and set out for Hyrule.
After two weeks of harsh travel and weather I reached Lake Hylia where
Link and Malon were supposed to live on a small island in the middle of
the lake. When I arrived I found that it was hard to miss. There it was
smack dab in the middle right next to a big tree. There was a small
bridge that led to a smaller island and then to the island. I started
across the bridge when I heard a splash from behind me. Quick as a
flash I drew my sword and shield just in time to feel the pain of a big rock
hit me in the chest. I fell to the ground stunned then the next thing I
knew it was pitch black and all I saw were the stars.

I had guessed that I must have passed out telling from the pain in my
chest. I eventually limped to the island and knocked on the door. A
minute later a girl about twenty or so with strawberry red hair opened
the door. She said, “Oh dear you’re bleeding,” about that time I had the light to see that one of my ribs had broken through the skin.
“Is this Link’s house?” I moaned.
“Yes, but that is not important, you are badly injured.” She said “Now
let’s get you bandaged up before you get infected.” After that I
collapsed to the ground.

The next morning I woke to the smell of sausage and the conversation of
a man and a woman outside the door of the room I was in. I creaked the
door open enough to see into the other room. Sitting at the table was a
man wearing a brown tunic with a hat to match and at a stove was the
girl that answered the door.
“We cant keep him here we do not have the room to keep him here I had
to sleep on the floor last night because he has been sleeping in my bed,”
said the man.
“Well what are we supposed to do,” said the woman “leave him outside,
with how one Octroc injured him so badly he would not last one minute
on the bridge going back to the other side of the lake.”
“Well what should we do then huh? He can’t stay here we do not have the
space.” At that time I stepped out and said “I take it you are Link. Am I correct?” At that time they both turned
their heads to me.
“Yes, you are correct,” said Link.
“Then I will tell you the hell I went through to get here. I traveled
for two weeks on foot through the big storm that hit a week ago. I had
no manner of transportation except for my own two feet. Why you might
ask, because I had the dream that you might take me on as your
apprentice that’s why. I looked up to you.”
“Big words for one of such a small size. You remind me of me when I was
your age. Do not worry for the trouble you put up with I shall take you
on as my apprentice,” said Link as if he were a king or something.
“Thank you master Link I appreciate your kindness.”
“Please just Link.”
“Yes mast.. I mean Link.”

For a year after that Link taught me all the tricks of the trade when a
messenger arrived with a letter for Link.


Dear Link + Malon
I have not seen either of you for over a year now. Please come by the
ranch sometime. I need to know how you guys are faring alone.

Talon

“Why not,” Link said, “we have not seen Talon in a while.” Link took
out his recorder and played a song. A moment after that the sound of Epona's hooves came clattering across the bridge. Link had to give me a hand up but Link, Malon and I squeezed on Epona and we rode off. On our way across the bridge I had to repel some rocks but we made it across
safely and after that it was a hop, skip and a jump to Lon-Lon Ranch. When
we
got there everything was deadly silent.

I was first to hop off Epona and the first to see her. She was about my
age and about my size with chestnut-brown hair and brown eyes.
“Welcome to Horse Shoe Ranch, my name is Jennifer but you may call me
Jenny. I suppose you are looking for Talon he is in the stable I
think,” said Jenny.
“I’ll stay here with Jenny you go ahead and find Talon.” I said. “So
you work here on the ranch huh? It must be great to be able to work with
all the horses.”
“It is okay I guess but it tends to be a handful some times,” said
Jenny.
“Really I thought it would be cool to work on a ranch,” I said.
“Well I have work to do, see you later.” Jenny said as she walked off
with a bag of horse feed. Right after that I had a flash of what Link
called warrior’s intuition and turned around just in time to see a
giant spider jump off one of the buildings.

I whipped out my sword and shield so fast it would have made your head
spin. I then jumped to the attack but my sword went right through it as
if it was a ghost and then it disappeared. Suddenly I heard a laugh
that could only belong to a person with a pitch-black heart. A person who
would think my struggle to defend my life was hysterical.
“Who are you!” I yelled.
“I am Zelda, I have came here to give you a letter for Link,” said the
voice.
“So why not deliver the letter yourself coward!”
“This is why you little punk.” All I know is that one-second I was
standing sword in hand and the next I was on the ground. The wind was
knocked out of me and I had an envelope in my hand.

I decided that this was no ordinary letter and decided to open it
first.
The second I opened the envelope blew up. The next thing I knew I was
lying in a bed and every part of my body hurt and my head was
throbbing.
I could here voices outside the window. It was Link and Malon they were
searching a small crater where I was standing. I could not move a
muscle they hurt so bad I could just move my head enough to see out the window and when I looked to see how bad I was hurt I saw that I had been totally mauled. There were bandages wrapping my whole torso. I figured I must have been under intensive care for at least a week for me to be healed this well, considering the power of the explosion.

It took two more weeks of having to gulp down horrible tasting potions
before the doctor said that I was ready to walk. Link blamed himself
for what happened to me. It took two years before he trusted me by myself.
Now that I was 15 Link decided I needed a new sword and shield. My
sword would be harder to get than my shield. I bought my shield but my sword was in the forest temple I also had to get it myself.

I forgot to tell you a few things, for one thing while the two years of
straight training went on I spent a lot of time at the ranch. While
this happened a relationship developed between Jenny and I. I also did some research on the forest temple and found out that except for Link no one has ever come out of the temple, alive anyway. I was also able to find
a map in a book in the castle library. It was two days before I was to go
into the temple and retrieve the sword of legend.

The two days whizzed by and it was the night before I was to go into
the forest temple, possibly never to come out again. I was taking a walk
around the ranch, (for it might just be my last) when I felt a hand
drop on my shoulder.
“You should get inside before you get sick you do not want to lessen
the already slim chances of you getting out,” said Jenny.
“I think I will be able to get out just fine thank you very much,” I
said as I turned.
“Please come back Atrus. I don’t know how I would get along
without you.” I held her tightly in my arms for 30 minutes before kissing her lightly on the forehead. After that we went inside and sat on the couch for hours. The next thing I knew it was morning and that we had fallen asleep in each other’s arms. I carefully slipped out of her arms and
out the door.

The second I stepped outside I felt a hand land on my shoulder. It was
Link. “Ready for this Atrus?” he asked.
“As I’ll ever be.” I replied

When we arrived at the temple entrance I was surprised,
“It looks like a old mansion.” Inside is the sword of legend until you
grab it all you will have to defend yourself with is your dagger.”
After that I started to climb the stairs to the entrance. Once I was inside
the courtyard I started to get the creeps. Two big skeleton trees stood
on either side of me. I stepped up to the door and tried to open it,
but it was locked. I started to look for a key when my warriors intuition
kicked in I got a hunch that the key was in a tree. So I climbed one
and sure enough there it was a small chest with the key inside.

I went down a small hall way and into a gigantic room. In the middle
was a glass case and in it was a sword. The blade was flawless and looked
like it was sharp enough to cut through rock.
“I see you are interested in the golden sword,” said a small girl with
green hair.
“Oh excuse me, my name is Saria sage of the forest and protector of
this temple.” “ I..”
“I know who you are Atrus.” Saria interrupted “ Link sent you in
here to earn your sword, right.”
“Uhhu.”
“So go ahead and take it” said Saria.

At that time I opened the case and grabbed the sword. It fit perfectly
in my hand and when I swung it left a slight trail behind it. The
handle was completely golden with a Malon at the end. Then I heard an evil laugh just like the one at the ranch. Then Saria collapsed on the
floor.
When I checked she still had a pulse. Then I saw a tall woman about
Link’s age wearing a pink and white dress with the Hyrulen crest…Zelda.

“She served her purpose. So, after the golden sword are you well you
can have it but lets see you get out of here alive with it,” said Zelda.
“You would be surprised what I can live through Zelda. I lived through
your last try at Link’s life so what makes you think I cant live
through this attack on mine.” With an evil smile spread across her face. “Well this time I have a few minions to get the job done.” With that three
Stalfos knights came through a door behind me.
“So, are you are saying you will not take me one on one? Fine.” I said
ready for battle.

With that I jumped to the attack swinging rapidly. Miss…miss…hit! I
take of one of their arms off just as another one strikes me in the back.
Five more swings and I finally take on out just in time to block one of
the others swings with my shield. Then I connected my sword with its
spinal cord, 2 down one to go. This one seemed to be the leader because
it fought like the other two combined. For at least an hour the
skeleton and I returned blows back and forth until I vanquished the foes. Than I turned my attention to Zelda but she had disappeared.

I waited until Saria awoke before I left the temple sword in hand…
victorious. When I arrived at the ranch Jenny took one look and
immediately took out the bandages and sent me to rest in bed. Even
though I had been hit many times I was able to spar with Link in a day.
We received about a month of peace and quite until the day came when
Zelda decided to take revenge on me for her defeat.

It was raining that day. Jenny and I were sitting by the fire when we
heard the horses outside.
“It’s raining what are the horses doing out?” I said.
“I don’t know but we have to go outside and put them back in the
stable,” said Jenny. We were bringing the horses out of the coral when
I
saw a glow coming from across the coral heading straight towards Jenny.
With out thinking I jumped in the fire balls path and took the full
force of the blast to save Jenny. I fell to my knees in pain when
looked at the wound I could only see bloody pieces clothe and a few ribs. When I looked to see what shot the fireball I saw one thing…Zelda and she
was laughing her head off.
“THAT’S IT ZELDA I CANT TAKE IT ANYMORE YOU AND I, ONE ON ONE RIGHT NOW!” I screamed,(even though at heart I knew I was dying)
“I accept your challenge Zelda said, and just to make even challenging I shall heal
you.” With that a pink beam shot from her hand and healed my wound.

With that the battle commenced. Strength VS Magic. I was the first to
attack Jenny threw me my bow and a quiver of arrows. Quick as a flash I
fired an arrow right into Zelda’s right leg with that she started to
get very big and ugly and from the stories that Link told me she had
transformed herself into Ganon. She started to swing her claws in a
furious rage. I shot an arrow into her eye (witch since she is not the
actual Ganon would stun her) after that I ran behind her and brought
down the golden sword right on her tale at that a blinding light
flashed. When I looked again Zelda was just sitting there looking like
she had just woken up.
“Where am I?” she asked me.
“Don’t you remember?”
“No,” I explained the entire story and escorted her back to the castle.
After that when she was mad and jealous that she could not heave Link
her heart darkened just long enough for Ganon to take control of her
mind. After that I decided that since Ganon knew that I had the Golden
Sword and intended to kill me I decided that Jenny and I should flee.
The next morning I took one of the horses named Melynes and then Jenny
and I set out for my home village of Crescent.

More plz!! i want more! its sooooo good! :P