The Legend of Zelda: Of Redemption and Revenge; chapter 3

     In case you were wondering when the next chapter of my video game fantasy would be posted, worry no more! It's right here, waiting for you to read (if, in fact, you are interested in it.)
     A note about the story; the Gerudos are a race of vicious thieves, all female except for Ganondorf, who is also a Gerudo. They usually live in the desert, west of Hyrule.

Chapter 3 A New Challenge

     When he heard the scream, Link's warrior instincts took over. He broke into a run towards the building, retrieving his Magic Armor helmet from his pouch. He put it on, allowing it to spread across his body.

     Once inside the front gates, he stopped, straining his ears to hear more.

     “I don't know! I don't know where he is!” sobbed a female voice, just behind the wall on his right.

     “Don't lie to us!” snapped another woman, with a much harsher voice. “You must know where he is! You are the only one who truly knows who he is and what he does; surely he tells you where he goes!”

     Link quietly switched the breastplate rupees, preparing for confrontation. As he continued listening, the silver rupee's color began to spread unnoticed across his armor. He crept towards the door.

     “Nabooru, our captain, has disappeared and our king is attacked. He is the only one capable of such crimes, and is worthy of execution,” said another voice, also feminine. “Do not try to protect him, or you will share his fate! Now, where is he?!”

     At this, Link burst through the door, sword drawn. He saw at least five women, dressed in the same, strange desert clothing as each other, attacking another woman. The victim was on her knees, fearful.

     They all stared at him, confused. “Who are you?” asked one woman in purple, wielding a large scimitar.

     “My name is Link,” he replied, “and you are going to leave.”

     At the sound of his name, everyone's eyes widened. “We Gerudos have been searching a long time for you,” said one woman in orange. “But now you must die!”

     Instantly, every one of the strange women had two long scimitars, one in each hand, and charged at Link.

     Link blocked every strike with either his shield or his armor, knocking down the assailants as he did. He noticed that the purple-garbed one stayed back and watched the others fall.

     The attackers dealt with, Link ran forward to the kneeling victim. She was severely injured, with many deep cuts along her arms and legs.

     The purple woman bolted in the same direction, drawing a dagger. “Surrender!” she barked, raising the kneeling victim by her hair. “Or else the girl dies!” The knife was pointed at the young lady's neck, almost drawing blood.

     Link froze in place, his mind racing to devise a plan. Slowly, he dropped his sword and shield, raising his arms above his head.

     The woman holding the knife smiled and released the other woman, who slumped back, her shoulders shaking in silent sobs.

     “That's always been your problem, boy,” the attacker said, strolling towards Link; “too much heart.”

     That's good. Keep talking, Link thought, calling a certain item from his pouch. As it flew to his hand, it slowly changed from a small speck to a thin, spiked object with a piece of twine through it. Its true color of black with orange stripes grew as it did.

     “What is. . .?” the woman began, but it was as far as she got. Instantly, the magical talisman transformed Link into the Twilight Wolf, and he leaped at her. He slammed her clear through the wall, knocking her out cold.

     There were gasps coming from the other women, who had prepared to ambush him. He turned and barked sharply: Get out!

     Shrieking, they complied.

     Link nodded, satisfied that they wouldn't come back, and bit at the twine protruding from his paw. After a quick yank, he was his human self again. He dropped the twine, which flew back to his pouch, and knelt to study the young woman on the floor near him.

     She didn't look good. Blood was slowly seeping from numerous wounds, and her right arm was swollen, possibly broken. She was deathly pale, but she was still alive. She was staring at Link, confused.

     “Link?” she asked weakly, squinting.

     “Uh, yes,” he replied. “Yes, that's me.”

     “How did you. . .how. . .?” she began, before slipping into unconsciousness.

     Link quickly checked his pouch, pulling out all of his bottles. He breathed a sigh of relief as he found a Blue potion, the most potent of Hyrule's healing mixtures. He carefully poured the liquid down her throat, feeling her pulse to make sure he wasn't too late.

     After she drained the bottle, her wounds slowly healed, her arm's swelling disappeared, and color returned to her face.

     Her eyes fluttered open, and she looked at Link, still confused. “Link?”

     “Yes, that's my name.” Link replied, slightly confused himself.

     “Oh, thank goodness,” she said, her confusion evaporating. “Link, I had the worst dream just now! There were these Gerudo thieves, but they were attacking me! And then you rushed in and turned into a wolf! It felt so real, I almost. . .”

     “Wait, wait,” Link said, holding up his hand. “That wasn't a dream. See?” He motioned to the hole in the wall to his right.

     The woman's eyes widened. “It wasn't a. . . then why did they. . .?” She looked back at Link. “They were looking for you! But why? And how did you turn into a wolf like that? You've never told me about that!”

     Link looked at her. “I know that,” he replied; “I've just barely arrived here, after all.”

     Now the woman looked confused again. “What are you talking about?” she asked nervously. “You've known me all your life!”

     “No, I haven't,” Link said, standing up.

     The young lady stood up as well. “What. . .?”

     “Let me explain,” said Link. He paced as he told his story, explaining how he had met the spirit of his enemy and was sent to this time to fix the mistakes the spirit had made.

     “So, whomever you thought I was, you were incorrect.” he concluded, looking back at the woman. ”I'm sorry for making you think otherwise.”

     The young lady was looking down, her red hair falling in front of her face. “I see,” she said, absently moving her hair away. “There is another Link in this time, but he's been gone for weeks. I've been really worried."

     She shook her head and looked up at Link. "Well, whomever you are, I am in your debt. Thank you so much for saving my life; if there is anything I can do for you, please let me know.”

     “Thank you,” Link replied, nodding He turned to go, but stopped. “Actually, if you know of a good place to spend the night, I'd be very grateful.”

     The woman paced, tapping her mouth as she thought. “I can't think of anywhere you could go,” she replied. Then she snapped her fingers, as if she had an idea. “Actually, you could sleep here, in the stable. I know it's not the best place, but the main house is full, so you couldn't stay there, so. . .”

     Link nodded, smiling to himself. “That sounds good,” he said; “I'll sleep in here. My neighbor had a stable a lot like this, which I slept in as a child. It'll seem like old times for me.”

     “Really?” the lady asked, smiling. “I used to do that too. Well, make yourself comfortable. I'll be back at sunrise to milk the cows, so I might wake you up.”

     “That'll be okay,” Link said. “I've had nights like that often.”

     As the woman walked towards the door, Link remembered something. “Wait!” he called. “I forgot to ask your name.”

     She stopped in mid-stride and turned around. “Malon,” she said, giving a small curtsy. “My name is Malon.”

Of the Resilience of Zucchini

     About a month ago, Mom and I went out to do what had to be done: we trimmed the monstrous Zucchini plant so that we could dispose of it after it died. After taking out nearly all of the leaves, the garbage can was getting too full, so we decided to leave it alone. Surely it couldn't live for much longer, we thought.
     Well, we were wrong. The 15 or so remaining leaves were apparently very strong, and it has gained it's second wind. Already, there are two or three zucchinis waiting to be harvested, one already harvested, and about five blossoms waiting to be pollinated.
     Some may say that this is annoying. I wouldn't be the one to say that they're wrong. However, I do say that this plant, besides providing an enormous bounty of nutritious and versatile food, is its ability to cling tenaciously to life, to not give up even when it seems to have no hope of survival. It's still an enormous plant now, and it will have to die soon, but it's almost as if it's saying I'm gonna live today, and you can't stop me!
     I salute you, zucchini plant. At least until Autumn.
     (wait, today's the first day of Fall. . . great timing, huh?)

"Homeschooling is easy, right?"

     Sorry I'm late, I've been busy with my latest class requirements. I have an oral report to finish for tomorrow, I need to read that Jefferson biography (which I finished today), and I've needed to do lots of math, German vocabulary, and seminary along with it. That, coupled with other pursuits, such as writing and cooking (a lasagna and crepes this week!), I've had very little time to get anything written here!
     However, given my experience, I can safely say this: homeschooling isn't any easier than public school. In fact, public school might be the easier one (although I've never been there myself); because there, you are told what to do in every class, whereas in homeschool, once you reach the self-teaching level, your education and the path you take to gain that education is entirely on your shoulders, and there's a lot of options there!
     For example, there are dozens of online classes-from ballet to psychiatry-and hundreds, if not thousands, of classic books to learn from, all written by the great minds of history! Then there are the numerous real-time class opportunities, like acting classes and college prep, and the possibilities go on and on! It's a great opportunity, but sometimes simply choosing the classes and textbooks can be confusing!
     And, to top it all off, the only one making sure you are doing your work is yourself. There's no threat of a principal or a teacher to talk with if you aren't doing your work correctly and continuously. That's a difficult thing to learn, diligence.
     I'm not saying that I dislike homeschooling; in fact, I love it! I'm just saying that the usual thought of homeschoolers getting off easy because they don't have any homework to finish before they can watch TV*, or something like that, is wrong. After all, education is work. If it isn't hard, it's not worth it.
     *Isn't that just ironic? It's all homework!

The Legend of Zelda: Of Redemption and Revenge; chapter 2

     Well, if you enjoyed the first chapter, please continue to enjoy! Here's the second chapter, and more is sure to come later!
     Notes: Gorons are people made of rock that usually live in the mountains. The three "goddesses," named Din, Farore, and Nayru, are commonly mentioned in the series as creators of Hyrule. Disclaimer: I don't own Zelda, Link, or any other Nintendo trademarks. This is an original story, and I'm earning no profit from it.

Chapter 2: Changes

    Link steadily made his way across Kakiriko Gorge, back to the Faron Woods, where his journey would truly begin. The storm, however, was gaining much faster. For a moment, he wished he still had Epona, his horse, so that he could make it to the forest's edge faster. The thought quickly passed, and he continued on.

     He looked back and saw lightning flash. Counting the seconds between that and the thunder, he realized that the storm was almost directly above him. He decided to unpack his tent and wait out the storm instead of trying to race it.

     He reached into the small pouch at his side and pulled out a small black object that resembled a miniscule bag. It quickly expanded and gained color, becoming a large brown bag.

     Link smiled, remembering when he received the pouch. Midna had given it to him, the day before she left for her home. It was a twilight container that could hold almost anything, due to the nature of twilight matter. In fact, it was able to read his mind, and could send him what he needed if he couldn't reach the pouch.

     Just as I can do, right Link? Midna had said.

     Link? his thought said again.

     Link?

     “Link!”

     Link spun around again, dropping the bag in the motion. It teleported back to the pouch as it fell.

     This time, he did see someone.

     It was Zant. The usurper king of the Twilight realm. Ganondorf's underling.

     No, wait. It was only his ghost. He wore simple black clothes, his blue-green skin seemed silvery now, and he was smiling. Link had never seen him smile warmly like that.

     “Hello, Link,” he said, his voice ethereal and solemn.

     Link drew his sword. “What are you doing here?” he demanded.

     “I need your help,” Zant replied. “The goddesses of your realm gave me a chance to redeem myself, even after what I had done to their realm. My mistakes have not only caused damage here, although those damages were enormous, but they have also had ill effects somewhere in the past, and that is where I need your abilities.”

     Link was really confused now. “What?” he asked.

     “I need you to fix the problems that I have created in the past, so that I may be forgiven of my sins. I'll be given a body again, and I'll be able to return to my home realm.”

     Link was about to retort, but he realized that Zant was being honest. He knew from experience that the spirits of the dead couldn't lie. “Do you mean that another path can be found?” he asked, sheathing his sword.

     “Yes, but I don't know how. However, it can only happen if the natural time-line is restored again,” Zant replied. “I know that this is a lot to ask of you, and I know that I don't deserve your help, but if nothing is done to fix my mistakes, Ganondorf will reign once more in Hyrule and everyone that you know and love will be killed.”

     Link stared at the ghost. “How do you know this?” he managed to ask.

     “The goddesses showed it all to me before I came to you,” Zant said, his form wavering as if shuddering. “Now you understand the severity of my crimes.”

     Link looked straight into Zant's yellow eyes. “I'll do it,” he said, extending his arm.

     Zant extended his as well, leaving an odd sensation in Link's hand.

     “Thank you, Link,” he said, smiling. “Thank you for doing this for me. I only wish that I could come with you.”

     At that moment, lightning struck the ground near Link. He looked up and saw that the storm clouds were now a deep, ominous black. Almost like the clouds in the Twilight realm.

     “Time travel is a privilege reserved only for the living,” Zant explained, “so you will be on your own in that time. However, the goddesses will still be there to guide you to the right path.”

     Lightning continued to strike, forming a circle of scorch marks around Link.

     “Goodbye, Link,” said Zant.

     An enormous pillar of blue light suddenly surrounded Link, and time began flying backwards. He saw day and night flash before his eyes, while the entire landscape changed as well. He could see the gorge in front of him filled as all of the higher ledges were leveled to the ground. As he looked closer, he could see that the Gorons, the rock-men, were the ones causing the geographical change. After a while, he found that he could see a lot of Hyrule from where he stood.

     As Time began to slow down, he could see a building rise up, brick by brick, on top of a hill. It was almost circular, and very wide. Horses, cows and people all walked backwards into the structure.

     The pillar of light receded as Time began its natural flow once more. It seemed to be about midnight, and the building ahead was completely dark and still.

     Until someone screamed.

A reading of Jefferson's life. . .

     I've just started reading The Real Thomas Jefferson, and even after only three chapters, I am excited to read the rest! His childhood was so interesting, and it's a great inspiration for me to search for more learning; he learned three languages and studied every subject under the sun before he had turned 20. I'm still working on German, and there are still a few subjects I've left untouched.
     I suppose I shouldn't compare myself with him, because what's good for me to learn may not be (and probably isn't) what he needed to learn for his life mission. But still, it is an inspiring life so far, and I'm only getting started!

Remembering 9/11

     I feel sort of awkward writing about this, because I honestly don't remember the 9/11 incident. I was 6 at the time, and focusing on the world didn't even occur to me. However, I've heard many first-hand accounts about how people's lives were changed on that fateful day, and I can understand (somewhat) what they felt. They felt like someone was trying to erase them from the map, and that caused many bitter feelings.
     However, no matter how many people died that day, we need to remember to forgive the people behind it, just as Christ forgave those who nailed Him to the cross. After 10 years, I don't know how well we've been at doing that, but we need to keep working towards that goal. Only after that, I believe, will we truly heal from that attack.

A new writing class

     I've just returned from a new writing group, and it's promising to be grand! In fact, the teacher is still looking for students. Therefore, though this may qualify as a commercial, if you have the hour of five to six available, and are able to get to Centerville, contact me and I'll let you know about it. I think it will be great!

Reflections on Education

     I've been thinking about how much we have here, in this time, that we can learn from. Just think about it: we can see the rule of Rome and its fall at the same time, as well as how it came about. We can read from such minds as Plato, Shakespeare, and Benjamin Franklin. We have amazing advances in science, physics, math, and the arts. And yet, how many people do you, the reader, know, who simply doesn't give a fig about any of it? How many people are there who don't know how many colonies there were at the start of our nation's legacy? How many don't know how to speak to anyone persuasively because their human interactions have all been "cya l8r lol" over the text screen?
     If you can read this, remember to never take our educational advantages for granted. Always learn as much as you can now, so that the next generation can learn more than this one could. It's our duty, as has been the duty of anyone who has lived on the earth, to try to make the world better. To make the world better, we must make ourselves better. One of the best ways to do that is to educate ourselves.

The Legend of Zelda: Of Redemption and Revenge

     That's the name of my current writing project. As the name suggests, it is based off of the video game series "The Legend of Zelda" (and, yes, is the game that I know lots of "mostly useless trivia"). If you have any questions about the story, characters, or have any tips for me to improve my writing, please let me know; they will all be greatly appreciated!
     A brief summary of common terms: Link is the main protagonist of the story, and wears a green tunic and hat, as well as white pants, in nearly every version of the games. Hyrule is the realm in which he lives. Magic Armor is armor that protects the wearer by transforming the money in the wearer's wallet into a magic barrier. I own nothing about Zelda, Link, or anything this story has. Nintendo owns those rights. All that I own is the organization of the various story lines and characters in this story. This is not a story written for profit; only for fun.
     I hope you enjoy it!

Chapter 1: To Begin Again

    

     Link walked across Hyrule Field, alone this time, and gazed at the beautiful sunset. It brought to mind a time when that was all that there was; perpetual twilight throughout Hyrule.

     He shuddered; that was no way to live. With no true light, everyone had been transformed into a ghost, doomed to a miserable half-life of fear and uncertainty.

     Everyone, that is, except for himself. He had become a wolf, somehow.

     He had been singled out by the goddesses of Hyrule to save everyone, and defeat the great evil king, Ganondorf, and had barely survived the journey. If it wasn't for the help of one Twili, someone who lived in that twilight and enjoyed it, he couldn't have done anything.

     Today would be the day he found her again. He knew it.

     Eventually, he made it to the North Bridge. He looked down at a small carving at the bridge's highest point, three triangles forming one triangle. The Triforce, the Royal Family's seal. He pressed the bottom-left triangle, the Triforce of Wisdom, which was a hidden button.

     In response, the bridge rotated and floated towards the castle, where a hidden drawbridge was lowering from the back. The turning bridge was a mystery to Link. He could never figure out how it seemed to hover over the river as it did.

     As the drawbridge lowered, a figure in red ceremonial robes came out to meet Link. It was Princess Zelda, walking towards Link.

     No, not princess. Queen.

     It was so recent, he had forgotten. The King - Farore rest his soul - had died only a month ago, leaving Zelda to rule in his stead.

     When she recognized Link, she broke into a run and embraced him. “Link, are you certain that you need to leave?” she asked quietly.

     “You know that I am,” Link replied. “It's not just for me, though,” he added quickly, before Zelda could object; “I've been having dreams lately, with Midna in trouble. With the entire Twilight realm in trouble. Any Twili who doesn't regard her as a deserter thinks of her as a usurper, saying that she overthrew the rightful king. There's riots in the streets, attempts on her life, and she can't handle it! It's tearing her apart.”

     Zelda was shocked. “You saw all that in your dreams?” she asked, holding him by the shoulders.

     “They were very vivid,” he replied, walking over to the edge of the bridge. He looked into the river below. Midna was the reason he was alive now. She had saved his life countless times, and had become his best friend. Now, though, the only way to reach her was destroyed, and he had no way to repay her kindness. It was eating him up inside.

     Zelda came over and placed a hand on Link's shoulder. “Link, they might only be dreams,” she said soothingly, trying to console him.

     Link shook his head. “The Triforce marks on our hands glow when something important is happening, right?” he asked, looking straight in Zelda's eyes.

     Zelda's eyes widened. “You don't mean. . .?”

     “I do. Every time I wake up from those dreams, my hand is blazing. But that's not all.” He motioned to his sword. It was the Master Sword. “All the legends say that this blade is only to be used in the most grave circumstances, right?

     Zelda nodded, her eyes widening in understanding.

     “This morning, I found it and its pedestal right in front of my door. That leaves no question in my mind; Midna is in danger, and I am supposed to help her somehow. I don't know how, but I am. And I will.”

     There was silence for a moment. Then, Zelda nodded and reached into her sleeves. “I understand now,” she said. “Before you go, I have something for you. I know that you have a suit of Magic Armor, and what I have is perfect for it.”

     She placed a silver rupee, the greatest denomination of money in Hyrule, in front of Link. Curious, he picked it up, studying it. It had been carved to be roughly round in shape, and very smooth. “What is it?” he asked.

     “It is an enhancement for the armor,” she replied. “This is a family heirloom, made specifically for extended battles. When this is exchanged with the green rupee in the breastplate, the entire armor consumes rupees 200 times slower than usual, prolonging its protection. If your travels take you somewhere without rupees, this could save your life.”

     “Are you sure?” Link asked, understanding the sacrifice she was making. “I can't accept this, I. . .”

     “No, please,” Zelda replied, holding up her hand. “You've saved my life, as well as the whole populous of Hyrule. It's the least I can do to try to preserve yours.”

     A rumble of thunder rolled through the sky. “It may be best for you to start on your journey, Link,” she said, pointing up.

     Link looked where she pointed. “I think you're right,” he said. “Farewell, Zelda. May Farore bless and guide you always.” He began walking down the bridge.

     “Farewell, Link,” Zelda called after him. “May Nayru bless and protect you always.”

     As Link looked back at the castle while the bridge set itself back, he began to think about what he was leaving. Would he ever see the great land of Hyrule again?

     Oh, you will, whispered a voice, from somewhere around Link. In fact, you ll see it again before you know it.

     Link nearly jumped and spun around, looking for the source of the voice. He found nothing.

     He continued his walk, albeit warily. The voice had awakened a few forgotten memories: memories of darkness, of power unrestrained.

     Memories of Ganondorf.

What is Labor Day?

     Traditionally, Labor Day is when we celebrate the American worker, the people who make free enterprise possible for us. Today, we have added a multitude of meanings to this holiday. Some honor the labor unions (not necessarily the workers), some celebrate by going on a family vacation, and others simply enjoy a day off of school and/or work.
     Here at Taylor Academy (my family's homeschool name and thus our home), we do things differently; we work on Labor Day. Seems fitting.
     So far today, we've fixed the upstairs shower tile, weeded lots of our gardening space, cleaned out some of our rooms, and I've mowed the lawn. The kids (myself included) were offered video game time for our participation in weeding, which is the only reason it is finished today. I'd like to think I'd weed without that offer, but I'm not entirely sure.
     Soon, we will have a nice, American barbecue outside to close the holiday, and just rest from all the labor we've done this Labor Day. It's been quite a satisfactory day today!

So many blogs, so little time. . .

     I've found that many of my favorite authors are orbiting alongside me in the "blogosphere," as some call it. It's really cool that, unlike (I assume) through Twitter, the authors seem a bit more. . .human. I can read what makes them tick, how their writing is shaping or has shaped their lives, where and how they get their inspiration, it's amazing! And plus, there's free updates on their publications, which is awesome! I've found about three or four blogs so far, and I can't wait to find more!

Some very nice music. . .

     Recently, I've found some very good music, based on the "Legend of Zelda" video game series. To listen to it, click on this link: http://zelda.nintendo.com/top.html; and watch the video at the bottom. Even if you don't like video games, or if you've never heard of this game, I think you'll still like the music!
     Let me know what you think!