Chapter Text
Prologue: The History of the Royal Family of Hyrule
Before time began, before spirits and life existed… Three golden goddesses descended upon the chaos that was Hyrule…
Din, the goddess of power. Nayru, the goddess of wisdom. Farore, the goddess of courage. Din, with her strong flaming arms, cultivated the land and created the red earth. Nayru poured her wisdom onto the earth and gave the spirit of law to the world. Farore, with her rich soul, produced all life forms who would uphold the law.
The three great goddesses, their labours completed, departed for the heavens. And golden sacred triangles remained at the point where the goddesses left the world… The sacred triangles together created the Triforce, a mythical power that grants the bearer of all three the power to do their will.
Thousands of years later, Demise tried to take the Triforce for his own. He was stopped by the goddess Hylia, and the original Hero of Legend who wielded the Master Sword, a weapon of Hylia’s creation. Demise’s soul was forevermore bound to the sacred sword, so long it remain in it’s sacred pedestal. It was then known by all as the sword that seals the darkness.
Demise took on many forms after that, reincarnating in another body to resume what he started millennium ago; Ganondorf, Dark Lord Zarkon, even the Calamity. And each and every time he came back, the soul of the hero and the direct descendent of the goddess Hylia would rise up to banish him back to the Spirit Realm. Whether skyward bound, adrift in time, or steeped in the glowing embers of twilight… The Hero and the princess of Hyrule were called upon many times in the legends of old, and they were about to be again.
One day, ten thousand years after the last battle with the Demise incarnate, a fortune-teller came to Hyrule Castle, speaking of a prophecy that foretold the return of the Calamity;
The Calamity’s return looms.
Seek out the relics from an age past,
To find the answers that you seek.
A recipe for success you’ll need,
A sword, a birthright, a team of six.
The fate of Hyrule rests with you.
King Alfor Octavius Hyrule was quick to initiate action; the prophecy spoke of hidden relics from an age past, so he ordered for excavation in various areas of the kingdom. There had been brief mentions in ancient texts that the Sheikah tribe created an army of autonomous weapons, and four large mechanical wonders.
An elder of the Sheikah people came forth to remind everyone of the legend that happened ten thousand years ago;
“Hyrule was then blossoming as a highly advanced civilization, even the most powerful monsters posed little threat to the denizens of the realm. The people thought it wise to utilize their technological prowess to ensure the safety of the land should the Calamity ever return.
They constructed four mechanical wonders that came to be known as the Divine Beasts. They also built a legion of autonomous weapons called Guardians. The Divine Beasts were piloted by four individuals of exceptional skill from across the land.
Upon the Calamity’s inevitable return to Hyrule, the princess and the hero fought alongside these four champions against this ancient evil. The Guardians were tasked with protecting the hero, as the Divine Beasts unleashed a furious attack upon this terrible foe. And when the hero wielding the sword that seals the darkness delivered his final blow, the princess used her sacred power to seal away the Calamity.”
The legends were proved true after unearthing one of the Divine Beasts under Mount Nabooru, the Divine Beast of the Gerudo people. It resembled a long extinct animal called a camel, and was called Divine Beast Vah Naboris.
The other three Divine Beasts were found shortly thereafter, in the three remaining tribes’ land; the Rito, the Zora, and the Gorons. Beneath Corvash Peak, the Rito found their Divine Beast resembling a bird, named Vah Medoh. Beneath Ruto Mountain, the Zora discovered their Divine Beast resembling the mythical elephant, named Vah Ruta. And beneath Death Mountain, the Gorons unearthed their Divine Beast resembling a lizard, named Vah Rudania. Each Divine Beast was unique in nature and skills, seeming to thrive in the environment they were found in. They also appeared to all be made of the same unknown material as the Shrines littered across the land of Hyrule, and of the Guardians being unearthed around Hyrule Castle.
There was another discovery, seemingly unimportant compared to the discovery of the Guardians and the Divine Beasts… A small tablet, not functioning at the time of its discovery, but covered in various Sheikah texts. Eventually Ryner and Coran, the top researchers in ancient technology, were able to get it to work. But it’s purpose was unknown. It was small enough to fit between one’s own two hands, and had the ability to make pictures, all on its own, without an artist needed to recreate the image. It created them in perfect likeness of the object in front of it. It was obvious that there were other functions for it, but all that it was able to do at that present time was take exact likeness photos.
The only things left for the realm to do was figure out how to control the Guardians, find four skilled pilots for the Divine Beasts, and find the warrior with the soul of the hero.
Since the member of the royal family with the sealing powers was already well known.
Prince Lance was the only son of King Alfor Octavius Hyrule and Queen Seraphine Marie, and heir to the throne of Hyrule. As such, his life was fairly sheltered through his studies, archery, and learning how to one day rule.
But he was unlike any prince of Hyrule that had ever lived. For some divine reason, he was the only male of the royal family to ever inherit the princess’ birthright of the sacred sealing powers.
And to make matters worse? His mother, the only other person who could teach him how to use his sealing powers, died the year before he was to start training.
Lance had so many questions for her. How did she know that he had the gift? How did she access it? How does he learn how to use it? Why did she have to leave so soon? What did it all mean?
But no such luck for Prince Lance. Without a teacher, and without so much as a handwritten note as a hint to go off of, he was well and truly alone. His father tried, Lance knew that he did, but he didn’t really understand how difficult it was for him.
Lance was starting to lose hope that he’d ever access his sealing powers. It had been nearly ten years since he’d started to train at the age of seven, and he hadn’t had any more success than he had on his first day of training. It was almost like his supposed birthright wasn’t his at all.
What Lance was really interested in, was the ancient Sheikah technology. Since unearthing the Divine Beasts, Lance wanted nothing more than to study them and help the researchers uncover everything they could about them and the Guardians before it was too late…
The fortune-teller had come to the Castle six years ago, when Lance was just about to leave on a journey to visit the Spring of Power. He remembers the day like it was yesterday, and remembers how the woman stared right at him while she recited her prophecy. Her gaze still chilled him, more than her words ever could.
He knew part of the prophecy the fortune-teller spoke of related to him. He was the bearer of the sacred sealing powers, supposedly. It was his responsibility to save the land should the Calamity ever return. But it was also apparent that they needed to find the soldier with the soul of the hero. But how would they find him? The Master Sword was hidden away in some sacred forest, according to legend… Lance’s guess was that the sword that seals the darkness was hidden in the Great Hyrule Forest north of the Castle… But he’d gotten turned around at the entrance to that forest the one time he’d tried to go in.
The four Champions, however, had been appointed shortly after the unearthing of the Divine Beasts. One Champion was appointed from each tribe: Shiro, a superior bowman and a master of aerial techniques among the Rito people. Pidge, the Zora princess, a wondrous healer and shockingly savage with a spear. Allura, the Gerudo chief, unbeaten in her sword skills and crafter of the best shield ever known (only second to the Hylian Shield, the hero’s shield). And finally Hunk, a Goron known primarily for his negotiation tactics, but secondly for his mastery with the massive Boulder-Breaker.
All of the Champions had something in common; they all had the gifts of their ancestors who were the previous Champions from ten millennia ago, during the last encounter with the Calamity. Shiro had Revali’s Gale, the power of creating an updraft that allowed him to soar. Pidge had Mipha’s Grace, the power to heal exponentially. Allura had Urbosa’s Fury, the power to summon lightning to strike down her enemies. And Hunk had Daruk’s Protection, a perfect defence of his body.
Lance had the pleasure of being on friendly terms with all of them, especially Hunk and Allura. He had met Hunk back on one of his first excursions to the Spring of Power, while Hunk was travelling up to Gut Check Rock to fulfill a Goron tradition. Hunk had scared him back then, even though as a Goron, he wasn’t fully grown, but he was still much bigger than Lance at the time. But ever since he stayed with Lance that day at the Spring, they’d been friends. Lance had been delighted to hear that Hunk had been named the Goron Champion who would pilot Vah Rudania.
And he’d known Allura for as long as he could remember. Allura and his mother had been friends for a long time, and he could remember her visiting the Castle when his mother was still alive… One of his first memories was with Allura, when she was first teaching him how to use a bow. His father had been so angry, but Lance was so thankful that she’d shown him. He loved archery, it was something he was good at and able to showcase, unlike his love for the ancient technology. His father kept insisting that he instead focus on unlocking his sealing powers, as if that didn’t already take up every waking minute of his day.
Well, if his father was insistent on him using every possible moment to unlocking his sealing powers, Lance thought he should head up to the Great Plateau to practice there. It would be quiet, isolated, and most importantly, far from prying eyes.
He’d made up his mind. He’d pack up his bags, go inform his father, saddle up Seraphim, and ride out for the plateau by himself.
He quickly packed up a few belongings, and his two notebooks in a small pack he could sling over his back. He also made sure to grab his bow and quiver, in case something came up on the road. It was unlikely, but it wasn’t a bad idea to have his bow on him, just in case. His final addition was the recently named Sheikah Slate that Kolivan, Ryner, and Coran had agreed to give to Lance for safekeeping. He was extremely happy that they trusted him with this, and knew how dedicated he was to help them. Ryner’s theory was that the Sheikah Slate was a key, of sorts, able to control the Shrines littered across Hyrule, and perhaps even the Divine Beasts. Lance concurred with her theory, but now they just had to find some way to prove it. But none of their tests had turned up any results when they tried to get inside the Shrines.
He gave a quick glance around his room before deeming he had all he needed, and started out for the sanctum. He knew his father would be in there at this time of day, tending to his daily duties of listening to the townspeople’s requests and such.
He took his time walking up to the sanctum, thinking of how he’d inform his father of where he was going. King Alfor never had any objections with Lance travelling to the site of many sacred ceremonies in the past, but, more often than not lately, he insisted that Lance be tailed by at least two of the knights in his command. It infuriated him to no end. What was the point of bothering these trained men and women to stand behind him as he prayed to everything he believed in? No point, that’s what.
He was shocked to find the massive chamber nearly empty when he arrived, save his father and his personal guards, and a Hylian man kneeling on the ground below the throne.
Lance couldn’t see his facial features due to the way he was kneeling, but he appeared quite handsome. He had medium length black hair, tied back with a purple string of leather at the base of his skull. Some pieces were falling out, covering his face as he knelt. His pointed ears were pierced, oddly, with a small violet hoop encircling the lower lobe of each of his ears. He was wearing simple trousers, and his black hood was pushed back in the presence of the royal family. His patchwork tunic consisted of black fabric with a crimson swath of cloth adorning his waist, along with brown thick leather to act as a bit of armour on his forearms, chest, and one shoulder. But what made Lance pause was the object laid on the ground in front of him… Was that …?
“Lance, my son!” King Alfor exclaimed. Lance jumped slightly at hearing his own name, and tore his gaze from the stranger’s form. His father waved toward him, unperturbed by startling his son. “Come here, I have great news!”
Lance quickly made his way over to the stairs leading up to the platform, and stopped a step or so away from the thrones. He bowed his head slightly to his father, and kept his back to the stranger. “What news?” He asked lowly.
“Do you see that?” His father asked instead, and stood up, pointing down toward the stranger’s form. “After all this time, we’ve finally found the man with the soul of the hero!”
Lance turned slowly, praying it was all a dream. There’s no way this is happening, he thought frantically. If the sword that seals the darkness has been claimed, then that meant he was under more of a time crunch than ever.
But I still haven’t unlocked my sealing powers… How--
“Lance, I want the new Link here to be your own appointed knight.” The king interrupted Lance’s thoughts when a hand clapped his shoulder. “I think that the two of you should get to know one another, if you are to battle the Calamity together.”
“Wh-- Father, I don’t need a babysitter--”
“Not now, Lance.” Alfor interrupted, and gave him a pointed look. Lance knew that look. It was the look that said ‘this isn’t up for discussion’. “This man here has been working towards becoming a knight, and what better position for the hero than as your own appointed knight?”
With a sigh, Lance turned back to face the man who was soon to be his new bodyguard. This ‘Link’ was peering up at him through his bangs, and Lance nearly took a step back in shock. The stranger’s eyes were a striking violet, visible even across the distance. They were the same colour as his earrings, which contrasted sharply from his dark hair. The man quickly averted his gaze when he caught Lance’s eye, and stared firmly at the ground again.
With a soft sigh, Lance backtracked to the steps and made his way slowly down to the main level. He didn’t stop until he was barely a foot away from the man. “Rise,” he commanded lowly, only loud enough for the man kneeling in front of him to hear.
Lance was slightly pleased to learn that his new knight was shorter than him by a couple of inches. He had a delicate nose, though it was slightly crooked, presumably from being broken before. There was a thin scar on the side of his neck, white against his already pale skin, that receded down into the high neck of his tunic. Well, he doesn’t look like much, Lance couldn’t help but think. “What is your name?”
“Keith,” he responded lowly, briefly bringing his gaze up to meet Lance’s.
“Well then, Keith, it looks like we’ll be spending a lot of time together.” Lance said slowly, running his gaze critically down the man again. He couldn’t believe this was happening.
“I expect you to appoint your new knight as soon as possible, son.” King Alfor said, standing up from his throne. “Do you understand?”
“Yes…” Lance replied lowly, not meeting his father’s gaze. “I understand.”