"Alright, next! Who do we have here? State your name, age, and add prior experience if any is present."

"My name is Link sir. I am sixteen years old, and I have no prior experience in the Hylian army."

The Hylian record keeper looked Link up and down for a second, nodded, then wrote down in his document the scarce information he had been offered. Nowadays, it was much easier to be accepted into training for becoming a Hylian knight. With time constantly passing, and fear of the inevitable calamity ever approaching, Hyrule felt that all help would be needed and was welcome.

"Alright, you're in the record book. Thank you for enlisting. First day of training begins tomorrow, at dawn. I'll put you in, let's see," the record keeper glanced down and went through another paper then looked back at Link, "company fifteen. That will land you with Captain Andro. Report to your captain, he should be found in the main courtyard, where all the captains are gathered. Main courtyard is that way, good luck. Next!"

Link nodded his thanks, slung his leather sack around his shoulder, and started walking in the direction the record keeper had pointed him in. Link felt like he shouldn't be smiling, but he was. Ever since he could remember, enlisting in the Hylian army as a knight had been his dream. Now, it was his reality. All his training was about to finally start paying off.

Link ran his fingers through his light brown hair, looked around to make sure no one was watching him, and tilted his head back to whisper to the sword strapped to his back, "You hear that Fi! I'm officially signed up! We did it! I'm finally a trainee knight!"

"Congratulations, Master. I guess we'll ignore the fact you had to rehearse your name, age, and prior experience 'speech' exactly eleven times before getting in line with the others signing up."

Link rolled his eyes at the voice that teased in his mind, "You have real audacity to sass me in my own head you know."

He heard Fi give a metallic laugh, "I jest, Link. I really do mean congrats when I say it. Although I feel first talking to you captain would make things official. The way to the main courtyard the record keeper mentioned is straight ahead to the stone path, take a le-"

"Left, I know, I know. Fi, I grew up here, I know the way."

"I see. Proceed to the route then."

Link nodded his head and grinned, quickening his pace. He took in every bit of surroundings, the strong feelings of nostalgia and excitement taking away his anxieties, doubts, and fears, if only temporarily. Central Hyrule was as he remembered it for the most part, although it did have some noteworthy changes. In five years, he expected as much. The newer houses seemed to be built higher, and the architecture of new buildings was built around a more modern layout. The streets were a bit busier, and the flags that fluttered in the spring breeze looked like they were finer stitched than when he had seen them last. Another new staple was the presence of Sheikah laboratories to assist with technological research.

Seeing the Sheikah labs reminded Link of Purah, who was now eighteen years old. When she had reached seventeen, she was at the age to apply and find a career, finally fulfilling her dream to become an official Sheikah researcher. With her knack for the Sheikah technology, eccentric personality, and of course a formal letter of recommendation from Impa that couldn't have hurt, Purah was quickly accepted to the main laboratory that resided in Central Hyrule.

Link made his way to the main courtyard area in no rush, still soaking in everything around him. As it wasn't as organized and quiet as Kakariko Village, something about the hustle and bustle of the busy town appealed to Link in its own way. Something about walking in a bustling community had an exciting feeling, knowing that in this complex environment, you had a piece to play in it all. Being one figure in a crowd had its strange charm. Link felt, with the significant burden he carried, that being in a crowd was special because no one noticed or cared about his role. He was just an average Hylian minding his own business. He pushed aside his worries and anxieties, pretending in his mind to be what everyone at that moment saw him to be, just a normal Hylian making his way through a busy town.

Link smiled at the carefree children that played in the streets, with an occasional parent gently scolding them to be more careful. He missed that innocence, being out in the open messing around with companions without a care in the world. Part of him wished he had enjoyed his childhood more, instead of using the majority of it wishing it away, yearning to be older. Ironic how it works, children want to be adults, and adults want to be children once again.

When he finally reached the courtyard where the captains were, Link located Captain Andro quickly from overhearing conversations shared with him. With the thought that he now had an official captain to answer to, he felt snapped out of his oblivious daze, felt his chest go tight, and his heartbeat quickened. He cleared his throat, mentally rehearsed his lines a few times, and then walked right out of the courtyard.

"...Master Link, the courtyard was right there."

He shook his head, ignoring Fi for a minute. Link found a quieter part behind the courtyard, away from everyone, out of sight and out of mind. Link placed his bag on the ground, sat down against the hard wall, and took a deep breath. He untied the leather strap from his back and placed the master sword in his lap.

"How do I really begin? What do I even say?"

"What do you mean by that?"

"I have the master sword! I can hear the legendary voice that resides in it. I've spoken to the Great Deku Tree. I can slow the flow of time at my will. How do I introduce myself as just another new knight enlisting? Oh hey, I'm Link, I found a talking tree who told me if I didn't get killed by Hylia's sword I could keep it and now I can maybe save the world cause I'm not dead yet?!"

"...Well, I wouldn't word your introduction like that."

" People talk about the knight chosen who wields the sword to seal the darkness. Everyone in all of Hyrule wonders about who it is, who their fates rest with. I just-" Link sighed, his voice quivering, "I'm just scared of what people will think when they find out. I don't know how they will find out. Do I tell my captain? Do I use it in training? Do I go straight to the king of Hyrule? Do I-"

"Link! I thought it was physically impossible for me to get a headache, and yet I feel one coming on. Cease your stress talking, and inhale deeply."

Link half smiled and did what he was told, staying quiet and waiting for Fi to continue talking.

"How do you think Impa would react if she saw you already hiding from your captain?"

This time Link's smile was genuine, appreciating the lighter question, "Oh, I think she would have grabbed me by my pierced ear and dragged me to the captain herself."

"Precisely. Speaking of your pierced ears, if you survived revealing those to her, I think you can survive revealing anything else to anyone else for the rest of your existence."

"Oh come now, she didn't react badly. Just a bit shocked is all," Link laughed softly.

Fi's voice sounded warmer, and Link felt like he could sense her smiling, for she was pleased to have cheered him up once again, "Just let it happen naturally. Avoid being too obvious, but make your position known. Wear the sword on your leather strap as always, but use a training sword while you complete your drills with your company. Not only will you know where it is at all times, but it will make you known without you having to speak a word. Let your talent speak for itself, and show why you wear that sword. Let them talk, as they will anyway. You were given, as well as earned, a great gift and responsibility. What's the point of it if you hide it?"

He chuckled softly, "Yeah, you're absolutely right."

"I know I am."

"I'll do just that. What's the point of the sword if no one knows I have the sword. I'll keep it on me at all times, and do my best to live up to its legend. Thanks, Fi," Link leaned his forehead on the sword which he held in front of him and smiled. He could have sworn he felt a light presence lean back ever so slightly.

"Of course."

With adequate encouragement, Link rose, dusted off his pants, straightened his shirt, and made sure the strap holding the master sword on his back was tight, as well as not hiding behind the cloak it was previously. He took in a deep breath and walked straight to the courtyard. Finding his assigned captain again was simple, he walked up to the tall Hylian guard and introduced himself.

"Greetings sir. My name is Link, I'm one of the new recruits sent by the record keeper. He assigned me to your company, company fifteen. I was told to report to you."

_-+-_

Link lay in his cot, reflecting on what led up to the moment present. Introducing himself to captain Andro went smoothly until he turned around to walk to his housing quarters, which revealed the legendary scabbard on his back. The hushed voices and sudden lack of conversation spoke for itself. Being introduced to his quarters and mess hall was interesting as well. At his first dinner at the mess hall, many eyes lay on him the entire meal. The attention made him feel terribly self-cautious, and Link avoided eye contact with everyone. He spoke to no one. He had a legend to live up to now, and any desire to talk or do more to cause attention to himself was nonexistent. He forgot how fast news spread in Central Hyrule. Everyone whispered and stared; however, he appreciated those few that simply nodded or smiled, making him feel a bit normal, if only for a second.

Getting used to living as a Hylian soldier by itself brought its challenges. Going from serene and peaceful Kakariko Village to living in crowded and loud Hyrule was no smooth transition. The lack of privacy and space was something Link knew he'd have to get adjusted too, and made him miss his own room. The food was no fair comparison to Impa's cooking, or his own, either. To the opposite effect, it resembled Purah's, which was not a good thing.

Back in Kakariko Village, it smelled of home cooking, scented candles, and pumpkins. But in the spaces reserved for the Hylian trainees, it smelled like Hylian trainees. Not anything remotely close to resembling Sheikah made scented candles.

As Link stretched and rolled over, his mind wandered back to his parents. He pondered if his father slept in this room many years prior in his earlier days of service to Hyrule, or maybe even the same cot. The last possibility was quite a stretch, but a possibility nonetheless. He let his mind go back to when he parted ways with Kakariko Village two weeks earlier. The parting was bitter-sweet and emotional. It was a long-anticipated event, yet saying goodbye to a past life was hard. Impa was proud that Link was going off to putting his hard work to good use, but said how she would miss their daily training sessions and conversation. Purah got teary, demanding a promise to stay safe. Link laughed, promising to stay as safe as he could.

Link smiled as he brought back to life the two places he visited before signing up as a knight. He promised an old friend a visit years prior and wanted to visit somewhere new before beginning demanding training that would no doubt require all of his attention.

In Zora's Domain, he paid a long overdue visit to the region's princess, Mipha. It had been ten years; way too long. Making the peaceful journey to Zora's Domain was pleasant, as he enjoyed every bit of breathtaking scenery he remembered from back when he was a child, traveling the plains with his parents. He rode on his brown steed, a common breed of horse found scattered about various Hyrule fields, often grazing peacefully. Link caught the young stallion himself in the Blatchery Plain, near the Dueling Peaks Stable. He brought the horse proudly back home after many failed attempts to soothe the steed, building scarce amounts of trust so he could simply mount the wild stallion. With a soothing voice, red apple, and one or two hooved-shaped bruises on his body, he finally won the horse's heart.

When Impa and Purah first saw the white hooved horse, they flooded Link with suggestions of what to name it. Link laughed and answered that he already had a name for his mount. 

Neigh-ru.

When Link arrived in Zora's Domain, it was almost the same as it was ten years ago, yet still took his breath away. The domain was constructed of unparalleled architectural design, decorated with small waterfalls running on the sides. The constant soothing sound of water crashing and falling aided the gorgeous surrounding views. His favorite part was the light reflections that reflected off the crystalline aquamarine mountains, bouncing off the water and illuminating the area with a soft, watery glow.

***

Upon his arrival, finding Mipha was not difficult. He recognized her immediately, playing with little Zora children in the center of the domain. Link smiled while watching her getting splashed by the young Zora, pretending to take a great shock from each of their tiny splashes. It brought him nostalgia from when he first met her and he was only six years old, splashing her the same way and laughing at her faces of mock surprise.

She must have felt the pressure of his gaze because she eventually paused and turned in his direction. Link felt a bit awkward at being caught staring, and with the hope she would recognize him despite his change in age, smiled softly and waved. She gave a friendly smile and waved back, then went back to her game with the Zora children. However; after approximately three seconds, she suddenly stood straight up again and turned around again to get another look at the Hylian stranger. Link chuckled as her yellow eyes studied him and she tilted her head, sure she knew his face from somewhere. When it did click her draw dropped for a slight second, quickly excused herself from the little Zora, and ran in front of Link.

"By Ruta, is that you Link?"

Link laughed quietly, "I'm surprised you recognized me that fast. It's been too long."

"I'll say," Mipha laughed as well, "Ten whole years, right? Gracious! I thought you might have forgotten your promise to visit me when you were six, but it means a lot you visited nonetheless."

"Yes, of course. I'm sorry I didn't come any sooner, but a lot has taken place since I've last seen you, as you can imagine."

"I can imagine, I mean, you're already taller than I am," Mipha joked but grew a bit more serious seeing Link not as lighthearted as he used to be. He simply nodded and smiled, resembling the child she once knew in the way that he always seemed ready, and oriented toward whatever challenge came next. Even with his newly acquired height, compared to her at least, he still had the same messy hair, attentive blue eyes, and kind smile.

"Well, Link. You've grown since I last saw you. And yet... you have not changed. Now, I'd love to hear all about your past adventures, if you wouldn't mind sharing them."

Link nodded eagerly, and as they started to walk toward the closest waterfall, he began to relate to her what had happened in his life since he last left Zora's Domain ten years ago.

***

Link grinned at the fond memory, grateful for the opportunity to visit an old friend before a new chapter. And of course, he couldn't forget the new friend he made as well. After Link parted ways from Kakariko Village, he not only wanted to revisit a special place but to go to one place new before becoming totally taken by his future role as a knight of Hyrule. He knew every place of Hyrule on a map and could guide himself potentially anywhere. Yet, he had not traveled too much as of late, so he figured one little tourist stop wouldn't hurt. Link debated traversing to either the region inhabited by the Gerudo, the Rito, or the Gorons. All places he'd never visited, he mentally ruled them out one by one until he made his mind up.

He decided against Rito Village because he didn't feel all that hyped about going there in comparison to the other two regions. As he didn't doubt the view of the snow-capped Hebra mountains on snow-laden fields wasn't a gorgeous sight, he just preferred to see something like a sand seal speeding across blistering sands or an exploding volcano instead.

When Impa told him of the "No Voes Allowed" rule, he ruled out going to Gerudo Town. Purah suggested he just crossdress, although she didn't truly care where he went, she just found the very idea of Link crossdressing hilarious. Link blushed at the very thought and adamantly refused. The very thought of him, wielder of the master sword, even being caught dead in vai attire was simply not an option for him. Link would never dare.

So, four days before new knights were being admitted on the Hylian trainee roster, Link found himself admiring Death Mountain while resting on top of a hay bail at the Foothill Stable.

***

He ran his fingers over the cool glass bottle that contained a fireproof elixir. Even in the hot weather, the container was still cold to the touch. He stared at the dark liquid that sloshed from side to side as he shook it, curious as to how the potion would protect him from going up in flames during his exploration around Death Mountain. He was familiar with the use of elixirs due to the multitude of them being used, created, and experimented by the Sheikah back in Kakariko, but never did he face a time where an elixir was going to be the only thing keeping him from being burnt to a crisp.

Link slid off the hay bale, shook the hay out of his hair and off his clothes, and started trailing the path that led up death mountain. With every step he took, the heat temperature felt a degree hotter. Finally, he took the potion out of his leather sack and downed it quickly. He gagged at the thick, foul taste, but it was worth it when he felt considerably cooler. He took a sip of water to rid his mouth of the lingering taste and continued his trek. However, after a few steps, he stopped again, terrified at the question that popped into his head.

What was keeping his clothes from setting on fire?

Link inwardly panicked and grabbed another elixir out of his sack, and started to pour it all over his clothes.

He didn't know if this made his clothes fireproof, but he did know it made them sticky, smell bad, and he was now regretting this entire trip in the first place.

Link laughed in spite of himself while taking another disappointed glance at his now stained clothes, which at least weren't burning off his body, and started once again up the mountain.

As he got higher, he was able to view the surroundings around him and better appreciate them. He could also get a view of Hyrule that certainly beat the view he got from on top of the Sahasra Slope back in Kakariko. Death Mountian itself wasn't the most scenic, yet the intense power the mountain contained radiated off of it. Link thought it was one of the coolest places he had ever been, and he felt more powerful just by walking through its many trails. The Goddess Din was often connected to the Eldin region by legend after legend, and her most defining trait is that of her great power. Link felt that somehow, she was connected to the power of Death Mountain itself, and her power just radiated off of the harsh land. It took great power to survive a trip there alone, much more to call the treacherous region home. Link's theory was that it all explained why the Eldin's race, the Gorons, were renowned for their great physical strength and power.

As the view of endless rocky mountains that were painted with running rivers of molten lava was quite a sight, Link enjoyed the overview of Hyrule more. He could see the entire kingdom in all its glory. The Gerudo sands, the Hyrule plains, the Lanayru waters, the Hebra mountains, and the Hyrule Castle standing proudly in the middle. He spotted Kakariko Village and waved with a smile, wondering if Impa and Purah were thinking about him at that moment too. He looked back to Zora's Domain and waved to Mipha for good measure. His smile widened at the thought of his beloved and friends, and he continued his trek in high spirits.

He felt on top of the world. In a literal sense too. He was all alone in a powerful place, feeling ready to conquer all of Hyrule. So powerful, when he spotted a pack of Fire-Breath Lizalfos, he laughed, unsheathed the Master Sword, and ran full force into the pack.

In his meager defense, Din is the Goddess of power, not Nayru, Goddess of wisdom.

Unbeknown to him, Link's battle did not go unnoticed. A particular Goron watched him lash at the Lizalfos while he was out looking for lunch rocks at the peak, and wondered what prompted a Hylian of such small size to engage such deadly opponents. He was a tiny little guy, so he rushed down the mountain to help him. He was shocked to find he was handy with a sword. He tightened his grip on his Boulder Breaker and ran to the Hylian's aid.

By the time he rolled Link's way, he'd already taken out all of the monsters. He couldn't help but admire his Goron-like strength.

While he was distracted, a monster almost got the jump on him. Link stopped it. The great Daruk... saved by a tiny Hylian.

He was sure he had a dopey look on his face when that happened and hoped the Hylian didn't notice.

Link jumped in surprise at the Goron staring at him, mouth agape. He had seen many Gorons passing by him in different towns and places, but never engaged in a conversation, or be in the position where one paid him any attention. The Goron sensed his staring was making the Hylian uncomfortable, so he cleared his throat and began to praise Link's victory.

"Wow, little guy! You took em' down faster than I thought one of your size could!"

Link mentally sighed at the comments of his height. He had been self-cautious of it ever since even Purah got taller, and now even strangers? But he could read the comical Goron's kinder intentions, so he smiled.

"Thank you, and thanks for coming to my aid. I thought I was alone out here," Link grinned.

"Are you seriously thanking me goro!? You saved my life! Some great stunt! I'm impressed, little guy!"

Link ruffled his hair and looked at the ground, "Don't mention it."

"Oh, and I'm Link by the way," he added slyly, partially hoping to shake the "little guy" nickname.

"Solid name little guy! The name's Daruk!"

Link chuckled, "Nice to meet you Daruk."

"So, what brings a Hylian all the way out to might Death Mountain itself?"

***

Link smiled in the dark of his barrack-room as the conversations that took place with his new Goron friend after came to his mind. They shared backgrounds, fears, food, training sessions, and Daruk even offered him some grade-A rock roast to "help refine his palette." In the end, Link was deemed an official Goron brother by Daruk, and he was so grateful to have accidentally run into such a great, supportive friend.

He turned over in his cot yet again, feeling unable to fall asleep. But he knew he had to, for the first day of training was mere hours away, and Link was determined to make a great first impression.

Link wiped his cheek as his emotions flowed silently down it. He felt suddenly overcome with emotions. He mentally cursed himself for being emotional before such an important morning. He felt scared, happy, terrified, excited, homesick, ready, unprepared, surrounded by friends, and yet all alone at the same time. He knew he would do great, excel above all others even, in his training for knighthood. Yet, he felt he would let all of Hyrule down and find some way to screw the world he loved. He knew he had great friends who would go to war right with him, and still, he felt deserted and alone, sure no one else carried the burden of the world on their shoulders. He hoped one day, he might find someone who would understand. One to share his burdens with, one who would understand exactly. But for now, he was determined to push forward diligently, and silently.

He touched his father's royal guard cap which hung by his head before finally settling down, and fell asleep with his hand keeping his mother's golden triforce necklace pressed firmly against his chest.

Even though they had left him in that world they watched him lovingly in the next.

He continued to carry on despite such great loss, and they couldn't possibly be more proud. 

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Wow, I really missed posting chapters. It felt really great if I'm being honest. I'm so sorry for being so absent, and the patience you guys have shown me means a lot. We are so close to the end, as the next chapter is the last chapter of "The Origin of a Champion." It's been so long, but I've truly enjoyed this project, and can't wait to start my next. The last chapter will be posted this month, on a certain day, as a "present." ;) -if all goes to plan that is haha

Thank you for reading, I hope you enjoyed the chapter. As always, comments of jokes, constructive criticism, and encouragement are very encouraged. Also, voting would mean the world. Thank you again, hopefully see you all soon at the end! I have some things planned for the "end credits" of sort haha I'm really excited. Your support means so much!

Stay safe!

-Hylian at Heart