[IC] The Legend of Zelda: War to End Them All

[AirBender]

It had been a little over half a century since the goddesses had last spoken to her. Since she had been told that the hero was being reborn once again. That there would be more than just one hero this time, several others would be taking on important roles. They had also told her that this one would be the last one. One more adventure and then the evil would be banished forever. Then after that... Well, Ashi would worry about that later. There was still plenty of time before that, and plenty that could still go wrong. It was never entirely certain that the hero would win. Though Ashi could count the number of losses on just one hand. Only one of which had happened during her time.

Ashi sat cross legged next to Master Sword's pedestal, her prison as it were. It had been almost exactly seven hundred years since the goddesses had sealed her spirit to the sword of evil's bane. In between adventures, all she really had to do was sit and think, or learn. Sometimes she practiced magic too. She had long since given up staring out the windows, because she couldn't go far enough away from the Master Sword to even leave this room, seeing what she couldn't get to had just made her feel worse. Each hero was a joy to interact with, thinking of her not as a tool, but as a companion. It was always the hardest thing to tell them that they had to put the Master Sword back, and leave her imprisoned here.

She had her eyes closed, telekinetic powers reaching out as far as they could go, as she did every day for the past half a century. As always, she could only feel the princess' mind, as her powers only reached as far as Hyrule Castle, and it's surrounding town. Once all five were in her reach, it would be time to call them all to her and start the journey. The hero, the princess, the guide, the musician, and the sage. Each had an important part to play. Without even one, the entire quest would fail. It would be tough to make sure they all stayed alive, but it was a task she was ready to take on.

It seemed like, once again, nothing was going to happen today. Sometimes she had two of the chosen in her reach, once even three, but never more than that. Ashi sighed, it was irritating, but she had waited this long already, it wouldn't hurt to wait one more day. But then, one more appearance in her range, the another, until all five were finally in the same area. A small smile graced her lips. It was time. Focusing her power, she reached out to the minds of each of the chosen and sent out a single telepathic message to all of them. If needed she would send out more until they appeared. But for now, one would do.

"To the Temple of Time, your destiny awaits."

[IceHeart]

Hyrule Town: Royal Event Hall

Stella Vanessa Vi Hyrule was the crown heir and princess to Hyrule; therefore, she also had a lot of responsibilities to take care of. Today was Hyrule's Founder's Day. The day when residents across the land traveled far and wide to pay homage to the great nation and in general just have a ridiculously good time while doing it. It was a great, grand festival and this year was suppose to be especially eventful, which meant much more work for her.

"Princess, is the royal parade to your liking?" Asked one of the even organizers.

"Yes, it will do quite admirably." Stella replied as politely as possible.

"Princess, can you approve this change to the schedule?" Another organize inquired. Stella nodded slowly and take a pen from his hand to sigh the form he was holding.

"My lady, are you sure you do not want any adjustments to your dress? Perhaps we could add just a bit more decoration to it." Questioned one of her ladies-in-waiting.

"No, that is quite alright. My current attire is more than adequate." Stella tried to assure her. She was already dressed up in her royal best there was not need to any more extravagant. She already felt a bit like a walking parade with the extra festive jewelry and extra fancy gold circlet with precious red and white gems set in the crown.

All this was happening in a rather large building near the center of the square that had been procured ahead of time for the event organizers and royal family to prepare for the event. Of course things were just getting busier and busier as the event was getting underway and as princess, she had a lot to take care of. Still her resolve was astounding as not once did her polite smile waver as she dealt with each new thing was it came along. On the inside she was thinking. "Man, I really hope I can find some time to listen to some of the stories being told around town. Adventurers always have such exciting tales, as long as they aren't along the lines of 'there was that one time I actually met the royal princess...'."

Stella had had the unfortunate luck on rare occasion to hear such a tale when she managed to listen to a story unnoticed, which, while interesting in its own right did not really sate her over the top curiosity. But she had a lot of things left to do, like be in the royal parade and give the Founder's Day Speech. Being a princess was always very tiring work and did not give her much 'me' time. As she kept helping people out and giving out orders a voice echoed in the back of her mind, "To the Temple of Time, your destiny awaits."

She almost didn't realize it was there because of how busy she was. For a second she almost thought it was someone around her who said it but quickly realized it was the feeling of telepathy. Instantly she was filled with curiosity and a great desire to go immediately but before she could even consider slipping away one of the helpers asked, "Princess are you alright?"

Stella quickly realized she had forgotten to answer the attendant's question about the festival. "Forgive, I was just distracted by a stray thought, please tell me again what you needed to know?" She responded sweetly, it was unfortunate but her curiosity would have to wait for a bit. She had her duties after all.

[Lauder]

To the Temple of Time, your destiny awaits"

Those words rang in Slink's head, causing him to awake in quite a stir out of fear and surprise. It wasn't natural for him to hear voices in his head, nor was that common for everyone. The Lizalfos got to his feet and looked around the hovel that he called a home, a building abandoned by its people. Slink had not a clue why the people abandoned the building but it was not up to him, besides that was not his focus at the moment. In a haste, he grabbed his gear that he traveled to Hyrule with a departed from his home in a bit of a secretive path, a hole in the roof, as to not be noticed by any of the inhabitants.

He dug his claws into the wood and pulled himself out of the building before breaking into a run, now jumping from building to building to get to the temple that he had been called to. Slink had just felt compelled to do so; it was better than stealing food from the people.

The Lizalfos did stop at the sight of a parade, it was not often that he saw such a large gathering so he wanted to simply watch for a moment. For exactly one minute he watched, then he was off once more towards the Temple of Time that the voice had so graciously told him to go to. Slink was a very speedy one along the roof, not bothering to be careful and not alert people of his presence for he did not care if the people fled in panic or the guards came after him with their weapons brandished. He had a motive to go, a motive to see a temple, a motive to exit his hiding. It was not long before he reached the Temple, its doors closed to everybody. So why had it called him here, was he just going mad or had the call meant something? Slink reached out and touched the door, simply to feel it, that was before his sprinting and jumping caught up with him. Now he stood there, with shortness of breath and haunched over out of the way he had been running and jumping.

[Apollosarcher]

The Lucky Fairy tavern bustled, dozens of men and women moving in and out as they bought, traded, and haggled. The celebration had brought everyone from Goron's to Zora's to Castle Town. Bris sat at the bar, Marcie the tavern owner brought him a meal and a mug of milk. Bris just smiled handing her a small bag, when she opened the bag she squealed and slipped it in her pocket. "It's on the house then, thanks for this Bris, your a good guy." The Lux mercenary simply raised his mug drinking to his favorite tavern and it's wonderful owner.

He'd been gone nearly three weeks, he'd taken four jobs along his trip out, making a nice bundle of rupee's. First he escorted a caravan over to the mountain village of Kakariko. Then next he took supplies from village by the mountains up river to Zora's domain where he was given a letter. After that Bris was to bring a letter from Zora's domain to a village by the sea. Finally his last job, get a bag of pearls for Marcie's little sister, the little girl had wanted to make a necklace to wear during the festival.

The crowd moved out into the street as space freed up in the bar he pushed his plate away, his fork falling upon it, his plate cleared of any scrap of food. He picked up his shield setting it on his back, next he secured his sword on his belt. Just as he turned to thank Marcie for the meal, three other mercenaries stumbled in, they seemed drunk already, shameful. They belong to Din's Flame mercenary company, a good name for a bad bunch, they were almost as bad as criminals. The one in the lead reached behind the bar and grabbed a bottle of brandy smirking he popped the cap and poured it into his flask.

Marcie was no push over, nor was she afraid of any two-bit mercenary from Din's Flame Bris smiled that girl could make a Goron cower in fear. "You're paying for that! No free drinks, especially for you lot!" She yelled storming over grabbing the bottle free of the blonde mercenaries grasp.

The blonde one in the lead growled. "I don't pay for nothing! I'm with the Din's Flame, beside's that brat over their never pays for his meals and drinks!" The blonde merc spat back before looking at the other two mercenaries. Bris noted that the blonde was back up by scarred up, ugly looking man along with another man who hair had so much oil in it he could have been used as a torch.

Bris shrugged his shoulders and stepped closer. "I rent the room upstairs plus I do work for her, I earn what I eat. Beside's I don't drink like you fools, I'm a professional."

A larger one, his red hair styled ridiculously moved so he had a better view of Bris drawing his sword. "Shut it boy, the grown ups are talking." He snarled, the scared one eyeing Bris careful, he must have been the smartest of the bunch.

Bris drew his sword as well. "I'd get out now if I were you, my name's Bris Lux." He said as slipped his shield off his back. "Marcie, why don't you check Jenna?" He said, waiting until his friend was clear.

The three mercenaries laughed, spreading out in front of him drawing their blade. The blonde laughed. "Yeah right, Lux is the best in town! If your Lux then I'm the King of Thieves!" The other two, one with deep scars across his face and the red head whose hair was mostly oil laughed with him.

"Fine, but I am Lux, just so you know what to tell your boss later." With that it began, Lux tilted his shield bouncing sunlight into the eye's of scared one's face one before launching towards Blondie slamming his shield into the blond's face as he blocked Red's attack with his blade. He kicked Scarface into the door sending the dazed opponent out into the street he looked at Red. "Take your friend and leave or this gets bloody." Red grabbed Blondie and hauled him out, Scarface chasing after them, he chuckled looking at the floor, a couple of Blondie's teeth now laying upon it.

Putting his sword and shield away he placed two hundred rupee's on the bar, the few patrons who had been watching stared at the warrior, in awe and fear. Marcie walked back out picking up the rupee's as he left waving, Bris Lux had once again saved the day, even if it was just protecting a little tavern.

As Bris entered the main street, the parade in full swing he stopped, unlike most he did not stop to stare at the parade but to focus on a voice. One that came not from his ears but from his mind, like magic, even over the noise of the crowd and the dozens of screaming children, her voice was clear and purposeful. "To the Temple of Time, your destiny awaits."

With that he cut across the the parade's path heading right for the temple, people yelled at him to get out of the street but he continued on his way. Finally once he had gotten into the back streets he began to run, he wanted to see the temple anyway but now it had become much more interesting. Where their was magic their was a very good story or a well paying job, he would be fine with either or both if he could have both. When he finally found his way to the Temple of Time he walked up to the large ornate wooden door's pushing on them. He wondered if they would even budge he would hate to have to break down these doors.

[rawkhawk64]

Rikshath sighed. The grandeur of Hyrule Castle Town... it was something he'd seen many times, seeing as how he frequented the place a lot. Even the parade was nothing too special. Of course, that didn't stop the soldiers from using his perfect memory and observational skills as their own security system. The Sheikah sighed. Perhaps it was because he let himself be known for his 'skills' that they did this. Still, they at least paid him, so he didn't mind.

"Captain. Right there. Repeat offender. Pick-pocketing, if I'm not mistaken. Trying to hide himself under a thick coat." Rikshath watched as the captain stopped the man and handed him to a soldier to be dragged off. "Other than him and the other one, no one else here matches any of the descriptions or sketches of the known petty criminals." Rishath observed. The captain thanked him, before handing him a small pouch of Rupees. Rikshath didn't even bother counting out to see if the promised 500 Rupees were there, instead putting the bag away. He then made his way to the event hall, to see if anything interesting was happening there.

The soldiers didn't stop Rik as he approached, probably because of his heritage. After all, it was obvious he was a Sheikah, and they were the sworn protectors of Hyrule's royal family. As Rik made his way inside, he spotted the crown Princess, Stella. 'Speak of the Evil, and it shall come.' Rik thought to himself. Sure, there were some that still, to this day, disputed Stella's legitimacy to the throne, but Rik could feel her magical power. It was real enough. Not many possessed that strong of light magic. Rik rather enjoyed the ability to sense the magical potential of others. It came in handy a few times more than he'd care to admit. Rik watched the Princess go through the mundane task of giving orders and other royal stuff he had no caring for.

Rik never really was that close to the Royal Family. He'd be surprised if the Princess even knew who he was. After all, he wasn't her personal guardian, though that was probably because he'd spent a lot of his time studying magic. Even still, he preferred to make trips to some of Hyrule's exotic locales, as he found Castle Town to be too busy to his liking. Still, he knew he the Princess was, and he knew that it was still his job, no matter what, to make sure that she was safe should the situation ever call for it. As he was pondering on what to do, he felt it. "To the Temple of Time, your destiny awaits."

Rik was almost inclined to dismiss it, but there was a lingering to the message, one that most people wouldn't recognize. Magic. Rik realized he wasn't the only one to hear it, as he saw the Princess space for a bit, seeming a bit confused when she pulled herself together. Rik pondered for a moment whether or not to follow the voice or stay and watch the Princess do her work. He figured the parade might be a nice break, and decided to stay. Besides, he knew next to nothing about the person he was supposedly so sworn to protect. Family duties and all that. He guessed that's what happened when Princess Zelda's nursemaid was one of your ancestors...

[Eleventhfret]

Kierven's features split into a mischievous grin as he watched the events go down the Lucky Fairy. "Wow, so The Great Lux isn't seven feet tall and ready to explode with muscle? Disappointing." He chuckled to himself, getting up to leave when all of the sudden he heard a voice. "To the Temple of Time, your destiny awaits." Kierven pondered what to do, as he looked around to make sure that was definitely in his head, ultimately deciding it best to go. Either way she sounded hot, so what could go wrong, he wondered. He stepped out of the tavern and into the parade, skillfully stepping through the crowd, things were peachy until someone yelled out his name. "Hey, Kierven, stop! You good-fer-nuthin thief! Where's my money!?" A large, intimidating man was now drawing attention to Kierven, in the middle of a parade full of guards, Kierven decided his best option was to sprint to the temple of time. And that's exactly what he did, his body lunging forward until he reached the temple, encountering the mercenary of renown. "Perfect", thought he as he ran around, hiding on the side of the building. The large burly nan followed soon after. "Hey kid, you seen some fellow runnin' around over here?"

[IceHeart]

"It is almost time for the royal procession your majesty." A messenger announced to the princess.

"I see, them them to set out as soon as I arrive." Stella commanded the messenger who gave a quick salute and went off to tell the royal procession. Stella steeled herself and started to walk toward her intended starting point when she noticed a certain man in the area, Rikshath the Sheikah. She had seen the man on very rare occasions but had never had the chance to speak with him. The Sheikah were the ancient protectors of Hylian royalty but most of their work was done in the shadows. She of course knew that in the past the princess had a royal bodyguard, traditionally called Impa but in this age there was no female Sheikah that could be her personal bodyguard, as men were not allowed such a task she had to be content with the royal guard.

It had taken some digging around, asking various servants and nobles but her curiosity would not be statisfied until she knew who he was, as a Sheikah was a rare individual to see. The man's name was Rikshath and apparently he was a fairly accomplished sage, capable of some incredible magics. Besides his name and a few other trivial details however, the one rumor of interest was that he was related to the famous Impa, her ancestor's bodyguard and confidant for generations. There was no way to learn besides asking the man himself but there was little to no time for that because of her position, also the man was hardly ever around.

As she walked she directed her path to pass by the man so she could at least give him a proper greeting. She stopped, folding her hand together in front of her dress and gave a small, polite bow. "Sage Rikshath, it is a pleasure to make your acquaintance." She resisted the urge to ask him a thousand questions and quickly wrapped up the small greeting. "I fear I have duties to attend to but I hope you will continue to provide support for my Family and I in the years to come. May the Goddesses guide your steps." With a gentle smile she managed to walk to her assigned place in the parade without cracking her mask.

---

The parade itself was an astonishing sight, now made three times more exciting for the people when the royal procession joined in. Royal guardsmen in their flashy armor flanked both sides of the open-air carriage Stella currently sat in along with her personal attendants. Hyrulian flags were everywhere, people of every shape and size watched the procession with a wide variety of emotions. Trumpets sounded, flutes sang, ocarinas hummed, and so on as he made her way to the podium, set up above the crowds where she would give the Founder's Day speech.

She smiled and waved at the crowds, careful to keep composed at all times. "Please hurry up carriage, I just want to get this over with so I can investigate the Temple of Time. I need to know so please Goddesses, don't let there be any unexpected delays!" Stella prayed in her heart while she graced the parade and festival with her presence.

[rawkhawk64]

Rik continued to observe things as the parade start time grew nearer and nearer. The event hall bustled more and more, as people were frantically trying to make sure things started on-time and without a hitch. A few quick glances at the Princess indicated she was antsy. Whether it was from that strange message, or from the parade... well, he wasn't too sure. If he had to guess, it was probably the Temple of Time. After all, parades were a dime-a-dozen.

As Rik was lost in his musings, he was quite surprised to find the Princess standing right in front of him. As she politely bowed to him, Rik bowed back, taking the opportunity to observe her up close, having only seen her from a distance before. She was rather fair and beautiful, with her long black hair falling gracefully down her shoulders. As Rik recalled, that black hair had been why many thought she was an illegitimate heir. It was during these thoughts that she spoke to him. "Sage Rikshath, it is a pleasure to make your acquaintance." So, she had heard of him. Interesting. Rik nodded. "No, the pleasure is all mine, Your Highness." Rik said, not missing a beat.

That's when he saw it. It was there for only a fraction of a second, before it was gone. A strong curiosity for things she didn't know about. Rik was sure he was seeing things, but then he recalled that same look on her face when that telepathic voice reached out. 'So, the Princess is a curious one, huh? Can't say I blame her. I'm sure royal life isn't all it's cracked up to be.' Rik pulled himself from his thoughts as the Princess spoke to him once more.

"I fear I have duties to attend to but I hope you will continue to provide support for my Family and I in the years to come. May the Goddesses guide your steps." Rik merely nodded at this, as she had already started to walk away. Hmm... the Princess is indeed interesting. Well, I'll be in town for a few days, so perhaps I'll try to keep an eye on her. Especially if she's going where I think she's going after the parade...

---

Rik watched the parade, and even he had to admit he was rather impressed. Only one mistake was made, and that was so minor that he doubted anyone else saw it. Then, it was time for the Princess Stella's speech. Rik had found himself in the perfect spot, one where he was elevated to see over the crowd. If anyone asked, he'd just say it was to ensure the safety of the Royal Family. Secretly, though... well, he was curious about the Princess. She didn't seem like any of the Princesses of the past that he'd read about. As the speech began, Rik listened.

[AirBender]

Slowly the chosen began to move, two of them made their way towards the temple as soon as they heard her call. The Hero and the Guide. One more, the Musician, followed shortly after. But none of them entered the temple. They stood outside the doors, far enough away from each other that they probably hadn't even noticed that more than one person was there. The Princess and the Sage stayed where they were, The Princess did have a country to run after all, and the Sage likely had duties of his own that stopped him from coming. Still, she'd send out another message to them, just in case. It was nice talking to people after so long anyway, even if they didn't reply back.

She wasn't sure why the chosen who were outside the temple weren't doing anything. Maybe they were waiting to be invited inside? Usually the heroes just barged right in, startling her more times than not. Ashi rose from her spot next to the Master Sword and walked to the edge of the large room, reaching her hand out, it hit what seemed like an invisible barrier, one that only stopped her and nothing else. Her tie to the Master Sword meant she'd couldn't go too far away from it. And this large room was as far as she could walk. She had been wondering if perhaps she could move further away if it meant going towards the hero, but that didn't seem to be the case. Reaching out telepathically again, she sent a message to the three outside the doors.

"Go ahead, you are the chosen, you can open the doors. I would open them for you, but I cannot get to them."

Maybe it was a little cryptic, but she would explain all once the entire group had arrived. No use explaining bits and pieces, only to have to do it all again. Ashi returned to the Master Sword's side, brushing her fingers against the crystal that housed her spirit when she chose to enter that form. The only form that she was immortal in. But she liked it better that way, knowing she could one day die was comforting. Once this journey was over, she wouldn't have to stay trapped in the Master Sword for eternity, completely and utterly alone. As she waited for the three chosen to enter, she sent out two more messages. One to the Princess.

"I understand you duties are important, but so is this. Please Princess, try to sneak away some time today."

The other to the Sage.

"You are near the Princess yes? Do the land a favor, help her get away if the need arises. Ah and, if you want to talk back to me, just project your thoughts towards the Temple of Time. I'll be able to hear them."

The last part Ashi added to the Sage's message, because she knew that with his magic, he would be able to pull of response telepathy. He may not have been able to start the conversation, but when their minds were connected like this, it would be easy to hear him. Some of the other chosen may have been capable of this as well. But the Sage was the best one for it at the moment. He was near the Princess and could keep Ashi updated on the situation. If they did have to wait until tomorrow for the Princess to get away, then she would have to tell the three who were already here. Perhaps they would be willing to spend the night in the temple? It would be nice to have some people around again.

[Apollosarcher]

Bris was up the front door he'd been about to push it open when a voice caught him a little off guard. "Hey kid, you seen some fellow runnin' around over here?" He turned and look towards the larger man.

"Yes, your friend just slipped behind you ran off back towards the parade." He pointed back up the alley he had come through. "I'd go know, the crowd at the parade would make him very hard to find."

"Go ahead, you are the chosen, you can open the doors. I would open them for you, but I cannot get to them."

The voice said in his mind, Lux smiled placing a hand on each door giving it a hard push they swung wide open at the young strong shove. With that he stepped into the temple, his eyes wandering along murals and paintings that decorated it. He tapped his sword hilt as he walked, impressed with how perfect it looked and the condition of the place.

He snapped his eyes, he knew where the item he most wanted to see was, the Master Sword. A weapon, a legend, and something the heroes had shared a connection to, the thing they all had in common. As Bris neared it, the hall widened and he could see her, a young girl sitting near the Master Sword. Bris let his sword had dropped away as walked in and sat down a couple feet from her. "So... I'm assuming your the one who asked me here?" He said, his eyes resting on the Master Sword, he wished he could know what it was like to hold the weapon.

[Lauder]

Slink had been watching the people that had arrived, they had not even seemed to acknowledge him so he knew they would not fight him unless they needed to. He heard the voice again, this time saying that the once gathered here could open the door, now things were getting interesting. So it had seemed that the mysterious force had gathered all of them here for some sort of reason, it couldn't be destiny because he was not a firm believer in it. The Lizalfos watched the boy open the door without much effort, and so the boy entered. Feeling compelled, Slink followed close behind and saw the sword. It held some of the best craftsmanship that he had seen and he doesn't even use swords.

The Lizalfos stood silently behind the lad and his eyes went to the girl, why had she not kept the door opened if she had been inside this entire time. Slink did not know what to make of the situation so he remained silent, watching. To be honest, it was rather interesting that some mysterious force had called this group to the Temple of Time. Though, now his mind began to wonder on what they would be doing now that they arrived. His head turned to the boy who had spoken his question, good, somebody spoke for him.

[Eleventhfret]

Kierven watched his pursuer go the other direction and grinned to himself. he strolled into the temple in a seemingly causal manner, though anybody that knew him was well aware that he was more than ready to react to anything at any given time. He made a mental note to repay the mercenary as he made his way towards the warrior.

He was in awe of the temple, it was so grand, a majestic sight to be sure, he could definitely feel a strong magical force, it wouldn't take a powerful music user to tell this place was special. It filled him with determination, to do what, he didn't know. His eyes widened as he noticed the imposing lizard, he almost warned Lux until he noticed the lizard seemed likely to be have been called by the spirit. As he reached the trio, he interrupted whatever conversation they might've been having without hesitation. "So, a Lizalfos, a mercenary, and a travelling musician walk into a temple..." he stated, mocking a typical joke format to call out the odd collection of people in the area. He split an infectious grin as he did so, then going on to introduce himself as Kierven.

[IceHeart]

Soon the royal procession reached its destination and Princess Stella climbed up onto the top of a tall podium erected for her, of course it was decked out with the royal flag and essentially made her the princess on the pedestal. Stella looked out at the expectant crowd who cheered and generally made a lot of noise. Expectant eyes glued onto their noble princess. Stella closed her eyes briefly, put a hand up to her chest, took a deep breath, opened her eyes, and started her speech.

"Welcome honored citizens of Hyrule and visitors from afar. Thank you all for coming to celebrate our glorious kingdom this Founder's Day." As soon as she had started her speech the crowd instantly grew quiet as they listened intently. "As many of your know our Kingdom has not always been stable, wars have broken out, evil has nearly taken over time and time again. But each time the honorable citizens of Hyrule have stood up to this tyranny and fought back evil time and time again. Our ancestor's were great legends who will live on in stories for all to enjoy and marvel about. I know I have from time to time but it is now up to us to keep this kingdom safe."

Stella looked out at the crowd who now had quite a lot to think about. She smiled sagely at some who even seemed a bit troubled. "We celebrate the founding of this kingdom because it started a legend that has continued to this day. Even now our great kingdom stands as a beacon of hope, a shining example, and a pristine bulwark against evil. I love this city, this kingdom, and especially all the people who occupy and visit it." Stella lifted her hands above her head and a great ball of light grew above her and started to trail up into the sky. She then brought her hands together in front of her chest, lowered her head, and closed her eyes as if in prayer, while the ball of light continued to rise.

"I pray that everyone of you will continue to help bring prosperity and safety to this kingdom. May the Goddesses's blessings rain down upon you as we share our experiences together this Founder's Day. Now," Stella smiled, brought her hands out in front of her, palms up, and looked out at the crowd, "may the true festivities begin!" With that royal proclamation, the bands started to play and her ball of light exploded into a cascade of colors, reds, blues, golds, and silvers spread themselves across the sky like glitter. The crowd cheered as Stella gave a formal bow to the people and left her place on high.

As the festivities started to get super rowdy Stella could only think, "Now I just got to figure out how to get out of here so I can check out the Temple of Time! I really need to know what's going on!"

[rawkhawk64]

As the speech started, Rikshath listened, impressed with how the speech seemed personal, though he could tell with certain inflections that it was surely rehearsed as well. No matter, it was a lovely speech anyway. However, midway though the speech, Rikshath felt the tugging on his mind again. 'You are near the Princess yes? Do the land a favor, help her get away if the need arises. Ah and, if you want to talk back to me, just project your thoughts towards the Temple of Time. I'll be able to hear them.' As the Sage listened, he composed a message of his own for the mysterious entity.

'Mm. Yes, I am indeed near the Princess. As for getting her away... well, the parade and her speech are near the end. I'm sure that I'll be able to find a way to get her away from here realtively unnoticed. Ah, in fact, I think the timing's just about right. I'll contact you when we are heading that way.' Rik cut off the telepathic there, as the festivities had gotten rowdy. Even some of the soldiers had joined in. Rik focused on his vast magic reserves, picking his spell wisely. After all, success or failure at this point depended on which spell he chose to use.

Farore's Wind!

Rik then warped right to where the Princess was, appearing in the shadows and staying unnoticed by the guards. "Princess, I can escort you to the Temple of Time if you wish. I'm sure you can convince someone you need to head back to your room or something. From there, I'll get us to the Temple. It'll only take a couple of warping spells for us to get there as quickly as possible. Quickly, time is of the essence."

As he told her this, he projected his thoughts toward the Temple of Time, to the mysterious voice emenating from that spot. 'Mm. I'm getting ready to enact a plan that won't panic the people about a kidnapped Princess, as that'd only slow us down. Perhaps we can pull it off like she's gone to bed for the night. However, I can't say how long it will be before we get there.'

Rik glanced around as he waited for the reply from the Princess. The guards that were "nearby" were seemingly gravitating more an dmore toward the festivities, though the only thing he suspected that held them back was their duty to guard the Princess. Rik then got an idea. A risky one, but one that would pay off it it worked. "Fellas, why don't you go on down and join the fun, mm? As you can see, I'm a Sheikah, and certainly not likely to harm the Princess at any point." One of the guards hesitated.

"How can we be sure you are who you say you are?" he asked. Rik nodded. "Mm. Your skepticism is certainly welcomed and understandable. Fine, a demonstration from the Sheikah sage Riksath." With that, Rikshath focused on his magic, before launching a series of fireballs into the air, which exploded like fireworks into all sorts of different colors, causing the crowd to cheer clap before partying some more. Rik turned back to the guards. "Mm. Proof enough?" he asked. The guards nodded before moving off. Rik then turned to the Princess. "Mm. Very well. Now, let's find some sort of exit under the pretense of you being tired, shall we? After all, the Temple of Time awaits for both of us."

[IceHeart]

Stella was quite surprised when Rikshath appeared near her from the shadows. Her surprise was quickly overtaken by the words the sage spoke, about how he could get her to the Temple of Time. It appeared her way out was secured and it also seemed the voice had not only contacted her, but Rikshath as well which made her even more excited at the prospect of finding out what was going on.

After his little display, most of the guards were satisfied with Rikshath's credibility. Stella gave a quick nod and pretended that all the activity had gotten to her. Her skin turned paler than usual, thanks to a little light manipulation, her eyelids seemed to grow heavy and more movements appeared unsteady and slow.

"Princess are you alright?" Questioned one of the guards looking concerned.

"Yes, I'm quite fine, but I fear I need some rest. I do not want to burden you all with the task of taking me back, I am sure you all wish to enjoy the festivities. So if it would not be too much of a burden," Stella turned to Rikshath and asked, "would you please escort me back home. I am sure one member of the ever vigilant Sheikah will be more than enough for this purpose."

Several of the guards did not look to happy about leaving her but they were not about to ignore the princess' kindness. "Very well your grace. Make sure you do your job." One of the royal guards grunted and then they moved off.

"Now then," Stella turned her full attention to the sage eyes piercing into his own, and he eyes seemed to twinkle with delight and curiosity. "Shall we depart?" Her voice was still that of the royal, demure princess since they were still in range of the people around but her face had already shaken off her royal mask, unmistakable joy plastered on her face at the mere thought of figuring out what was going on.

Few people could be prepared for the pure and honest face of the princess seeking out the answers to her millions of questions.

[rawkhawk64]

Rikshath watched with amusement as his plan continued to go off without a hitch. "would you please escort me back home. I am sure one member of the ever vigilant Sheikah will be more than enough for this purpose." Rik nodded at this. He saw that the guards were not happy with it, but ended up bowing to the princess' wishes anyway. 'Mm. Sheesh. They really are spineless... no wonder they're really only here for appearances.' Rik noted as the princess turned to him.

Even though, Rikshath had suspected that the princess was longing for some excitement and adventure, he had to hid his surprise as her face took on a new look, eyes twinkling with excitement. "Shall we depart?" Rik nodded, grabbing a hold of Stella's shoulder with his hand. "Mm. You may feel a slight feeling of being squeezed through a tube, especially if you've never teleported before. However, it'll pass, as will any possible queasiness. I can't take us straight to the Temple, but I can get us out of sight from the festivities." Rik said to her, before concentrating on his magic again.

Farore's Wind!

The two found themselves outside the festivities, in the empty streets. Rik took the time to compose a quick message. 'The princess and I are on our way.' Rik projected the thought to the Temple of Time, before turning to Stella. "Mm. There. The presence in the Temple knows we're on our way. We'd best not keep them waiting." he said, before walking alongside the Princess to the Temple, keeping an eye out for anyone who might spot them. Fortunately, it seemed the streets were empty, and Rik soon saw the Temple standing before them in all its splendor. Rik held the door open for the Princess, before entering himself.

Inside, he saw a Lizalfos, and two others, as well as a girl with a seemingly ethereal aura. Rik nodded to the girl. "Mm. Sorry to keep you waiting, but the Princess had an important parade and a speech to give. However, we are here." Rik said, examining each of the figures in the room.

[IceHeart]

"Squeezing? What do you mean-" Then she very quickly knew what he meant when Farore's Wind took them away. It was as if her body was being rammed through a hole too small for her but somehow she managed to get through. The squeezing sensation made her feel uncomfortable but like the Sage had said, the feeling soon past and she could breathe easily.

"-I see...well a very new experience to be sure." She said after the spell was finished and they found themselves in the back streets where no one but a few stray cats were wandering around. It was a sight she did not see often but she restrained herself and followed after the Sage to the Temple of Time.

When they got there the Sage kindly opened the door and Stella thanked him with a formal nod and stepped inside. As usual the temple was magnificent to behold, full of wonder and splendor that told tales of the legends of old but while she had been inside before, never like this with the Master Sword out in the open and of course the various people who populated its interior.

Two young men, a Lizalfos, and the presence that had spoken to her, an ethereal looking girl who seemed to be a great mystery. She could instantly tell it was she who had spoken to her, partly because the voice had been female and she was the only female in the room. Already a thousand questions wanted to burst out of her mouth, such as why was a lizalfos there? Had he been summoned as well? Why were there so many of them? What did their caller want to tell them? And many more but she managed to restrain herself.

Stella, in the presence of the one who had called them together, instantly went back into princess mode. "It is an honor to meet you all, I am Princess Stella Vanessa Vi Hyrule." This time she gave a short curtsy in her royal garb, looked at each one in turn but focused her attention on the woman. "Forgive me for arriving so late as I had duties to attend to. Now I hope you can tell us why we are here. It must be of great importance for so many to be called."

[AirBender]

After sending out her messages, Ashi didn't have to wait long for the door to the Temple of Time to be opened. She saw them, before they saw her. Silently, before she was noticed, she examined each of three chosen. The Hero was Hylian, which was to be expected, but like the goddesses had told her, he looked nothing like the heroes before him. He sported silver hair and eyes, as opposed to the usual blonde hair and blue eyes. The Guide was probably the most surprising of all. He, at least she thought it was a he, was a Lizalfos, one of the dark creatures created by Ganon. The Musician was the least surprising, simply because she had never dealt with one before. Judging from his joke and manner, he was a bit carefree, but his rugged appearance said that he knew how to handle himself.

The hero was the first to approach, Ashi stayed sitting where she was and let them come to her. He sat down just a short ways away from her and spoke. "That is correct." Ashi answered, eyes sweeping across the three once more. "But I will explain no more than that until all of the chosen arrive. We are still waiting on two." It was exciting being near people again. Ashi wanted nothing more than to jump up and hug each of them. But she stayed sitting by the Master Sword for the moment. Keeping half her attention on the Princess and the Sage, while the other half was on the people in front of her.

It was only a short time later that she received the first message back from Sage. Then the second one letting her know that the other two were on their way. Then again only a short time after that they arrived. The Sage was a Sheikah male, something that Ashi was glad for, the Sheikah had always been important parts to the quests of the heroes. The Princess was very different than any of the other princesses she had met. They were all either blonde or brunets, this one had black hair. But Ashi could still sense the Triforce of Wisdom in her, not to mention the powerful light magic of the royal family.

Both the Princess and the Sage apologized for being late, and Ashi finally rose from her sitting position. "It is quite alright, your duties are important Princess." She said with a small bow. "As for why you are all here... You must have heard of the stories, about the heroes who go on great journeys to save the world from evil. Then the world becomes peaceful again before it happens all over again. This is the next part in that cycle. The goddesses have gathered you all here, the chosen, in order to end the cycle for good. It will be the six of us who destroy Ganon once and for all." Ashi paused, letting that sink in for a moment before she explained further.

[Apollosarcher]

Bris was a little shocked when the Lizalfos entered that had put his on guard, then the rogue he'd help early entered as well cracking a joke about them. "You know if this is a good then you've got a really strange group together ma'am." Said the mercenary his eyes locked on master sword, his hands itched sweating in his gloves. "A little early for a job but I didn't exactly make a ton on my last trip out." He paused shaking his head his eyes turning as he heard magic then footsteps.

He bowed his head as the Sheikah and the Princess entered the room, he respected them both a good deal. "I see we've join by royalty and a Sage no less." Smiled the Mercenary as they entered. "I believe we meet before Sage Rikshath, you had me collect resources for your work a year or so ago, I'm Bris Lux, in case you forgot." The boy finished as next the woman who had summoned them all here spoke. She said they would be Hero's who would defeat Ganon and end this cycle once and for all? Sounded like a lot of work and little pay, but if saved millions he could put off filling his coffer's, plus traveling with this lot would be good fun at least.

His's tore back to the master sword his hand's now burned, he thought it might just be the leather on the gloves. So carefully he slipped off his gloves as he spoke now to Ashi. "Well I'm normally one to take jobs that pay, this sounds to good to pass up, so what are we each..." The boy froze, staring down at his left hand a tattoo like pattern of the Triforce with the piece of courage glowing. "I'm the... I'm the Hero reborn?" He asked as if he couldn't believe it himself, slowly his legs moved as if they weren't his own.

He stopped at the pedestal his Triforce piece glowing brighter as his hands wrapped around the grip, his wore a look bewilderment and strength. Slowly he lifted his hands, wondering if the blade would follow and it did carefully the mercenary withdrew the ancient weapon, the Sword of Evil's bane was gripped tightly in his left hand. It felt as if he was suddenly stronger, his mind clearer and more focused, he felt as if this blade was rightly his carry.

Lux smiled slowly stepping down laying down his old sword at the pedestal he slipped the master sword into his scabbard. "So... I guess that tells me what I'm doing here." He joked to them as his Triforce's glow finally dimmed a little, he slipped the gloves back on to his hand. "So... I guess I'm here to fight whatever comes our way?" He stated as he sat down besides Ashi. "Was I not supposed to do that yet?" He asked the girl with all the answers.

[IceHeart]

Stella's eyes grew wide as a legend appeared right before her eyes. This man, Bris Lux was in fact the Hero reborn! There was no mistake as the familiar glow of the Triforce appeared on his hand when he removed his glove. In response to his own Triforce piece glowing, Stella's own piece, the Triforce of Wisdom, glowed on her own hand, spreading its soft glow outward.

Of course her own piece was not a mystery so only its reaction to Bris's own was of any interest to her. For now she found herself inside one of the ancient legends she had only read about. In awe she watched as the new hero pulled out the sword from its resting place and replaced his old sword. It was a very magical moment for the princess who was instantly filled with energy.

Eyes glowing with anticipation, Stella stepped up to Bris after he sat down and asked Ashi if he should have taken the sword already. "Forgive the interruption but I just have to know a few things." What erupted from the royal's mouth was like a flood wanting to wipe out all in its path.

"Did you ever think you were different from others? Did you just learn about being the hero reborn? What did it feel like to hold the Legendary Master Sword? Do you feel any different now? Also do you have any stories you could tell me later?" Throughout all that the princess nearly forgot to breathe and had to stop herself from going any further, as her whole being seemed to be anticipating the answers that would follow.

She had not forgotten about the others and certainly had questions for them as well, but after seeming the beginning of a new legend, the hero was forefront in her mind at the moment.