Legend Of Zelda Fan Fiction / Starcraft Fan Fiction ❯ Tassadar's Legacy: Chronicles: The Exiled King ❯ Chapter 1

What would you do… if you woke up with wings?

That's what I ask myself sometimes…

But here I am, sitting up in a grassy field…

With these 8 foot monsters jutting out from my back.

It's ironic really. This is almost the exact same spot that I first popped up in this place.

It was bad enough the first time…

Back then I didn't know how to get home…

Now I know I have no home…

Or to be more specific, this is my home now. Except the family that I had is dead.

I'm the last of my kind…

Bit hard to swallow after all, but after falling asleep within what very well could be a dream, only to appear in a place that can only described as clouds, and have a heart to heart chat with your dead mum… and there's no mistake either. Unless I were to completely discount the truth in her words, and the feeling in my heart. Besides, even on the impossible chance that it's not true… explain the wings. Explain the golden sword I can summon at will. Explain… explain...

Hell there's nothing to explain. True or not. These wings…

Well at least they're kinda cool. After that little trip into Cloudville, I know exactly how to use them too somehow. I might as well stop lying here.

And so I did just that. I got up. The wings got up too funnily enough. When I envision wings, I'd imagine something like a dove or something. Not these wings. They're like… snakes. Flat, feathery, white, snakes. No bones. Or to be more precise, there are bones, but they can harden, flatten, or be shaped to my entire will. And another weird thing? These wings don't cast shadows. White than white, definitely solid things, but no shadows. If it weren't for the weight of them on my back, and the fact that I can very well fly into the air and fall down, which hurt by the way, I might think I'm hallucinating them.

Heh… maybe I am. But enough of that huh? I've got this cool mask. It's my battle mask evidently. My wings can form razors on them and become weapons themselves, but I think they're better for crowd control. No, my sword works better for actual fighting. With just a thought, I call it to my hand. Back home, people would call this thing a claymore… but it's width is wrong. It's as long as a claymore, but has the width of a broadsword. The handle is only long enough for one hand, unless my other hand suddenly became half it's size, and I'm not willing to see if that's something I can do. Too creepy. Besides wielding a sword that weighs so little that you'd think it weren't there if you couldn't see or feel it with two hands would be overkill.

As to that mask I mentioned? Well, I'd tell you what it looks like, but I can't take it off. I can make it disappear like my sword, but when I summon it, I can only push it back like a visor with no helmet. Otherwise it sits on my face. I need to get a picture or a mirror sometime. Although… there is a lake nearby.

Stretching my wings, I take off, and much to my delight, and Chain's envy were she to know how fast I can go now, I made it to the southern lake in a few seconds. Considering such a journey would be a day's hike? Yeah. Chain'll be envious. Or not… who knows with her…

I walked over to the waters edge and summon my mask and peer into the water. Cool thing about this mask is even though it's completely solid metal, I can see straight through it. Like a one way mirror only anyone looking at me would suppose I'm blinded by having a solid mask over my face. No breathing holes either. But that hardly matters. I don't have to breathe anymore.

I grin at the mask a little bit as I check it out in the water's reflection. Little oval circles over the eyes, and the nose and mouth area just have symbols of the phoenix and Triforce on them. Standard Hylian Royal symbol you'd find on any shield the guards at Hyrule Castle use. Including a certain dense hero. I still respect the guy of course. Who wouldn't respect Link, Hero of Time? But I have to laugh at how… uneducated he is. Of course, it's not his fault, being in a place that might as well be considered in the middle ages, and stuck in an almost adult body with only the mind of a 10 year old.

And it's no help either that he's with Chain… that girl might as well be an oxymoron the way she acts. I kind of understand her. I'd like to think so anyway. I find she's like my emotions. You can only begin to understand them once you accept that logic isn't going to cut it, and they can't be explained. They just are. I realized that when I was a little kid. A miracle considering how dense people are where I came from. Almost the same as here, although supposedly with all the technology and science, we're “enlightened”. HA! Yeah right. People can still be stupid and enjoy conveniences like clap on lights. Clap and they turn on. No need to understand why or how after all, if you don't care.

Sitting up from my position of looking in the water, I come to the conclusion that Chain and Link are a ways north of my position, trekking up the paths of Death Mountain. Already that far? Last I'd seen them, they'd just gotten back from the Forest Temple… Ok so maybe they weren't that far after all. It felt like I hadn't seen them for months, though chances are we'd only been separated for a week or two. Why does it not surprise me that she'd just continue instead of looking for me? I swear that girl…

But it works out better this way. Then I felt it. Shadowing them. Darkness incarnate. Crap. This is bad. I quickly form up a plan, and fly over there, taking mere seconds moving at near my top speed. They're surprised to see me. What with my mask still on and my neck long blonde hair, it's hardly surprising Link didn't recognize me. What did surprise me though, was the tentative try at my name as soon as Chain saw me. Yeah, like I said, don't bother trying to apply logic to her. Considering all I'm wearing is white pants, a silver mask, and have my wings wrapped around me to form a loose white feather vest, not to mention my different hair color, and she still recognizes me.

Screw the fact that when she last saw me, I was wearing a black version of Link's tunic, had short brown hair, and definitely no wings, mask, or white pants, she still recognizes me. Link's like, “Are you sure?” and Chain all but smacks him upside the head, nearly making me laugh out loud.

But to settle Link's understandable skepticism, I answer, “Yes Link. It's me Matthew. Though I go by Narethiel now.” We exchange pleasantries, I tell them where I've been, or at least a major abridged version anyway. They say they searched for me for a bit because Link insisted, but they had to move on. I shook my head amused, and said, “At least it works out best this way, since I wasn't even on Hyrule at the time.”

So that's how I rejoined my friends, entering Death Mountain. Ever present at the back of my mind is that shadow… but I'm thankful it hasn't made its presence known just yet. For all I know, it's waiting till it's brothers are awake so it's just going to wait and watch for now. I front a little, knowing if my plan succeeds, at least Chain, Link, and Hyrule will be safe. The main problem… will be if the horde takes the bait and won't just cull Hyrule anyway. I can't afford to lose my main weapon at this stage. Which means Hyrule needs to be left intact. I sigh, getting an odd look from Chain but she doesn't ask, to my disappointment and relief. I don't want to discuss something this catastrophic with Hyrule's fate already hanging in the balance as it is, but I wish she'd show a more substantial interest in me.

So I'm in love with the girl. Have been for the last two years. Most would call me foolish. I happen to pride myself in being loyal. She's a good friend. The first I've had in… ever. Maybe I don't have to love her, but what can I do? She's beautiful, and when she's not acting like she's got a stick up her ass, she's got to be the sweetest thing next to cotton candy. And I can't help but notice that the few times that she does seem to drop that devil may care attitude is only for me. Well, ok, I'm the only guy she does that for anyway. She did that for Carrie as well too.

Although… I am the only guy she can really call a best friend. I kinda scare off all the other guys from her. I confess to being a little possessive. She once called me on it. She knows how I feel about her. But I'm not willing to just drop my love for her. Don't think I could anyway. But the possessive thing? In my defense, she's always annoyed about guys hitting on her. So I told her to think of it as a vacation. She dropped it after that.

As we walked into Goron City, we instantly were hailed by a couple Gorons. Huh. This is different. Last I checked, only one Goron was supposed to be here in the city proper and the rest were supposed to be trapped in cages waiting to be lunch for a dragon. So much for the story following the script to the letter, but then again, here Chain and I are. Case in point.

First stop is the shop. Neither Chain nor I wanted pleasantries. Just to get all this over with. Though I think my reason to hurry was a bit different from there's. Then all hell broke loose. When we got down to the shop, we got some Red Tunics to block the heat. Link insisted I get one too, and I didn't resist. I didn't know if I would need it or not honestly. I told the keeper I'd need slits in the back and he obliged. Then we went to different rooms to change.

The pants could stay on thankfully. The “skirt” could go over that. The shirt was the problem. As I tried to put it on, my wings suddenly grew stiff and I couldn't get them through the holes. I didn't understand at first, and tried to force the issue. That's when my wing snapped. You'd think fluid wings couldn't do that, but they can if they're suddenly stiff as a board. To say it hurt was an understatement. I screamed. Link and Chain broke down the door, took one look, and hauled me off to Darunia.

Once there, I explained the issue and that new wings needed to grow in to replace them, and that I needed to be awake the entire time. Lucky me. Unfortunately, since the first wing broke prematurely, It would need to be ripped out so that a new one could take its place. I didn't want Link or Chain there. Link understood. Chain didn't, but she didn't care either. It'd break my heart to leave this place behind as well as her, but at least she wouldn't be hurt too much by it, or if what I suspect is true, she'd be hurt by it, but she wouldn't know it.

So Darunia had me lay on a great stone table and I apologized in advance for the mess I was about to make. He waved it off and gripped my wing. I winced something bad, but then on the count of three, he pulled. I swear, if it weren't for the fact that it stopped hurting as soon as the wing was gone, I'd've blacked out then and there. I don't even remember if I screamed or not. I tried not to imagine what my back looked like. I could see the blood pooling around me, and imagining the gaping hole that was sure to be there would make me throw up.

Finally after what felt like an hour, the blood stopped pouring, and Darunia stopped having to distract me to keep me from fainting or falling asleep. I felt a pulsing on my back and then the weirdest feeling.

It was like… imagine your arm, and then imagine feeling a shiver down your arm starting from your bones in your shoulder stretching out to the ends of your finger tips. That's as close I can get to describing what it felt like as my wing grew back. At the same time, my other wing molted as well, leaving behind two slightly smaller wings. I knew these were my “adult” wings. While, able to be fluid, they usually stayed in a bird shape and could fold till they were compact. And a ridge bone with a razor sharp edge allowed the wings to sit under my skin for disguise and then shoot out of my back when needed.

I stepped out to find Link and Chain waiting for me. I thanked Darunia for the help, and set out with Link and Chain. We went up into the Death Mountain's crater and down into the Temple of Fire.

Thankfully the temple hadn't changed at all. We breezed through it with my abilities along with Link and Chain's. The only issue was once we got to Volvogia's lair. I don't think Chain knew why Link hesitated at the boss door, but I did. I knew Volvogia was Link's pet and friend once upon a time. I put a hand on his shoulder to try and comfort him. He kinda whirled on me then and after looking at me, he knew that I knew.

I think that helped him steel himself for what was to come. Cause then he walked through the door with Chain and I at his side. We hopped on the pillars over the lava and to the center of the lair. We avoided the little pits of lava. Chain and I already knew what they were for and prepared to play a very dangerous game of whack a mole.

Then a shriek filled the air and in came Volvagia, more snake like than anything else in my opinion. Japanese style dragon it seems, flying without wings as if the air itself were water. It flew into one of the pits of lava we'd avoided and thus started the game. Link didn't hesitate to use the hammer, but it seemed it was me and Chain who were cutting into the dragon while Link hung back.

Then I spotted it too late. A purple crystal inset in the dragon's forehead. A split second faster and the Dragon wouldn't have lost it's head, but Link had had enough it seems and ended his friends life. The crystal suddenly turned black and Volvagia croaked out, “Link…” and then he was gone. Both Link and I were crying. No sense denying it. Chain kinda just patted our backs awkwardly. I decided not to tell them about the crystal. I couldn't bring myself to let Link know.

We got ourselves out of there and the Gorons cheered. Link suffered the festivities, and we left in a hurry. It was on the path back to Karkariko that disaster struck. The shadow hadn't left. I hadn't forgotten about it. I knew it wouldn't leave but I had been kinda hoping for it, but evidently enough of its brothers had awoken for it to take a stand.

I suppose you could say luck was on my side since only a few dozen of them were there, instead of the countless numbers that make up the horde, and that I already had my adult wings. Otherwise I doubt I would have gotten out of there without a scratch like I had. I'd immediately grabbed Link and Chain and flew at break neck speed into the Temple of Time, The only place I knew they wouldn't brave until their numbers had bolstered.

Then Link and Chain rounded on me asking what they were. “Faerakin hunters. That's what I am. A Faerakin remember? Evidently one of my kind had been trying to bolster and improve our race through genetics and such, but he screwed up. And thus the Faerakin hunters were born. Or Fearakin as some had called them. Like us in every way, except that their claws could kill us immortals. A normal blade would pierce and then immediately heal upon withdrawal. A fearakin's claws would cut, and act like such a wound would on a mortal human. But at least we can heal. A fearakin's claws used on a mortal or even a planet? The damage would be irreversible. And that was only the lower level's of Fearakins. The upper levels could tear into us as if we were mortals and the wound wouldn't heal. Or at least would heal so slowly that it didn't matter. Only problem is I don't know the difference between the two yet, so I can't risk a single scratch yet.

While resting in the Temple, I laid my wings out and tried to bask in the feeling of being on my home planet among my two friends, knowing that it would very soon come to an end. We bantered a little, and I took comfort in it. Chain seemed surprised I would lay myself out in such a vulnerable position considering the situation, but I assured her we're safe for now. Of course she then mentioned that she was there and could hurt me. I knew she wouldn't though.

After a while, they sat down. I figured I had about two more hours tops before I had to leave or it'd be too late for Hyrule. Peering up at Chain, I decided to use one of my abilities to see if there was anything between us at all. She had kinda nodded off, or I wouldn't have risked it at all. I stretched out my wings making them fluid and wrapped them around her from head to toe. Link watched kinda flabbergasted. Chain woke up as soon as the wings were around her. She might've freaked out but I guess she trusted me enough not to hurt her either.

Once the wings were completely around her, I opened my mind and allowed all my feelings to flow from the wings and into her. She kinda went silent at that. After a few minutes of waiting with abated breath, I heard her ask, “Could you let me go now?” I put on a grin to hide my heart breaking and slowly removed my wings, enjoying the last touch I'd ever have of her as I caressed her with them on removal.

I guess it didn't even faze her, feeling my feelings raw and open like that. Either that or she'd had enough time herself to pull on a normal face while wrapped up in my wings. Either way, I knew that there couldn't be anything between me and her now. I had an hour and a half left, but if I didn't get out of there now, I'd have ended up crying in front of them. So I told them my plan to act as bait for the Fearakin and lead them away from Hyrule so they wouldn't cull the planet. Chain was all for me leaving as soon as possible to better both our chances. I suppose some might call her heartless. I know she was just trying to help in her own way, but it still felt like a steak knife through the heart.

So we bid goodbye and told Link to take care of her. He said he would, and then I left. All that's left of my memory after that is of endless weaving and dodging as I forwent breathing and left the planet behind, heading into deep space. I pulled out all the stops, going as fast as I could without leaving the Fearakin behind, but still going fast enough to not get cut by them. After I deemed an appropriate distance had been put between us and Hyrule, I went full speed and left the Fearakin behind. I spent many years on the run, hopping planets and galaxies. I knew the whole horde was after me now, but they hadn't caught me yet so the Fearkin Lord must not have awoken yet. I chanced a few skirmishes with them, thanking my lucky stars I came out without a scratch and more than a few Fearakin dead. And since my blade, The Redeemer, which I had nicknamed, “Methias” was still whole and in my possession, I took great happiness in knowing that Hyrule was still safe.

After all, Methias is a Planet's soul blade. The only weapon capable of slaying a Fearakin for good, and only gifted by a planet to it's Guardian. Normally a Guardian stays with their planet, but I didn't have much choice in the matter. I guess Hyrule understood that since I still have my blade. I also made a point of only visiting dead planets since now that the horde is after me, any place I visit would be culled.

Whenever I had time to reflect, which wasn't much, I usually became depressed. I was stuck in my lot, leading around a horde of my hunters, unable to settle for the life of peace I desperately wanted. I sometimes thought of Chain. It took years, but I finally was able to accept and reflect on our relationship without feeling a stabbing pain in my chest anymore. I was also able to see that there were not only hints that she maybe loved me, but also that there were hints that she probably didn't, which helped soften that last blow a little.

I was also able to reflect on the things I'd seen while on the run. It was during those times when I revisited the places I zoomed past in my memories that I truly enjoyed. There are many things out here in space that are beautiful. Of course, the great expanses of endless emptiness weren't all that great, but there's sort of a calm reflection when you think about it. A place of stillness. That's what helps me most I think. That's what keeps me from just throwing myself at the Fearakin until I died in a glorious bloodbath, besides the fact that I know that once they kill me, they'd spread out and destroy the living planets instead of just the dead ones I'd been leading them across. After that it'd be a long time till they became dormant again, and that's only if they became dormant. Maybe the Fearakin Lord would take the reappearance of a race it thought extinct to heart and kill all life just to make sure there weren't any more in hiding.

While in these thoughts, I felt a strange tugging sensation. Like my heart was suddenly being pulled in a direction. Curious at such a thing, since it's never happened before, I followed the tugging, thankful for a sense of purpose other than leading the Fearakin horde on a wild goose chase. Although once I reached the end of the tugging, I kinda wish I'd stuck with the wild goose chase.

The tugging had lead me to Earth. I still felt the tugging, so I vowed to be quick and hope against hope that I could erase whatever tracks the Fearakins had been following or at least confuse them from following me to the place I had first called home.

Following the tugging, I came across the very thing the Fearakin Lord was probably afraid of. Another of my kind. He met me in battle. A surprise to say the least, but he was old. While experience was on his side, I was fresh, and after pulling some tricky maneuvers I'd invented while being chased by some of the upper class Fearakin, I had him with my sword at his throat. He gave in and said, “Forgive me. I had to be sure that possibly dooming this planet was worth it. I see that it has.”

I couldn't understand what he meant at first. He saw this and said, “My name is… forgive me, but even now I would rather be nameless. My guilt would have me forgotten in history. I am the one who betrayed the Faerakin and allowed the Fearakin to enter into our domain, lulled by a promise now broken.” He went on to explain how he'd been one of the scouts, searching out new life, and was stuck watching with his senses as life disappeared planet by planet in the hunt for the Faerakin. Then the Fearakin Hunter Lord promised that he would harm no other life and go to sleep if he would open the gates guarding the last of the Faerakins. He had agreed and fled when the horde came in and wiped out the last of our race.

As promised, the horde had gone to sleep, but now they're awake. I winced at that, knowing I'm the reason that the promise was broken. He then proceeded to teach me all he knew, including what the Fearakin had been following me with and how to cover it up and make me harder to find. He also taught me my adult name. Now that my new wings were in, I would have an adult name. “As sovereign of our race, all know your true name once you come of age. I name you Nerasethiel.” That kinda floored me till I remembered that my dead mother had mentioned she'd been Queen of the Faerakin. I nodded in acceptance of the name and he smiled. It was the first smile I'd seen him give since I met him floating over the Atlantic. He then gave me his blade, naming it Asela. I had not known that a Guardian could have more than one Planet Blade, and asked about it. He said that I could have as many as I wish as Prince and King of the Faerakin. I accepted this and took the blade. Then he died.

It was a sad thing, seeing him choose such an end. A Faerakin can choose to end his own existence by simply wishing it so. But it only works if they truly wish it either by simply no longer having the will to live, or through justified means. I value my own life out of habit at this point, so such an end is not available to me anymore. Not even falling over my own blade would do it. Throwing myself at the Fearakin might not do it now, what with what that poor soul taught me. I quickly left, covering my tracks, making it seem as though I'd never been near the place.

After a while I came to a dead planet and sat down and allowed myself to weep. Being that close to the planet, I had been able to sense, my old family. Or what was left of them anyway. Also I was able to sense Chain, and all the rest of the life I had once counted myself kindred to. Then I left. I wandered the stars, keeping my tracks covered, allowing myself to be spotted occasionally through sight so that the Fearakin Lord wouldn't branch out and attack living planets in his search. But at least this way I could visit living planets.

It was through such a visit, that I discovered a rather curious oddity. One of the living planets I visited had satellites around them in a grid. I was amazed at such technology, but even more so when I flew down to the surface and discovered that there was no possibility that the inhabitants had place them there. I roamed among the locals and discovered a legend about a being they named Tassadar. They had been plagued by monsters in such a way that would be considered Apocalyptic, then down from the heavens descended a great golden boat with golden birds flying out of it and spitting blue fire on the monsters. Then down came one who looked like them but was not like them. He named himself Tassadar and he had healed all the damage the monsters had left and then left himself with a promise of protection.

I asked them to describe the monsters. That's when I was told it was actually an old legend told. I might've wondered how much of it was true or at it's entire validity if not for those satellites. Reexamination later and comparing them to what I knew of Protoss technology from a simple computer game verified it. I still could hardly believe that Starcraft wasn't fictional, but after learning that Legend of Zelda wasn't fictional either, I can't say I was totally floored. Appearing in the middle of a supposed video game come to life can do that to a person.

It made me wonder how many other stories from Earth weren't fictional as well, and how they could possibly tie together. I know first hand how infinitely large the universe is, so it doesn't surprise me that every story from Earth may just exist out there. Who knows, maybe this Tassadar was the Tassadar I had dreamed about back on Earth, but that'd be a stretch. But I still held onto a small flicker of hope, especially after coming across a few more planets with the exact same defense, even watching one of them at work against Faerakin Hunters. While the blasts from the satellites didn't kill them, it did fling them away by incredible distances until they gave up. Not to mention the satellites were undamaged and there had been shields between the satellites protecting the planet further. I was amazed and tried to keep track of where I found these protected planets on my mental star map.

I kept following a path of living planets, finding more and more of these protected planets. I also spotted more battles, some monsters I'd never seen, some from seemingly benevolent races, some from, dare I believe it, the Zerg, and some more still from Fearakin Hunters. After seeing more and more of these, especially considering that the planet defenses fried the others rather than flung them, the next culling I saw on a protected planet, I joined in the fight.

The blasts avoided me, like I hoped they would, while I cut down any and all Fearakin, even chasing the ones that got flung. It was a long battle, but one I inevitably won. I then went down to the planet and learned more of the same stories, though these denizens had enough technology to watch the battle, and therefore me as well. To say they practically worshipped me for that was an understatement. I did my best to stem such behavior, embarrassed beyond belief. The adults and even kids surprisingly left me alone pretty quickly after that, treating me like a normal person.

I was even more surprised when they told me Tassadar had requested the same thing, when I asked why they were able to so quickly treat me with deference. My spark of hope grew at that. If this is the same Tassadar I'd once dreamed about, maybe my once forgotten dream of a peaceful life could still be a reality.

It took a few more years before the horde suddenly got the drop on me. I don't know why I didn't see it coming, but they came out of nowhere. Upper class Fearakin. I would've been dead if not for an intervention from the strangest source to date. A large arcing blast of white hot yellow energy blasted a giant hole in the swarm that had surrounded me, allowing me to get out and take them in my usual tactics of hit, bait, and run. And I received more help from the blasts. I followed them to the source with my eyes on occasion, taking in what would have completely floored me in normal circumstances. There flew Wing Zero Custom in all it's glory, flying around nearly as fast as I, flinging Fearakin with a vengeance since it couldn't kill them. It certainly made a nice distraction though. Enough so that the battle made to be one of the easiest I'd ever had.

As soon as the battle was over, the Gundam turned around and flew at top speed away. I had to pull out my top speed to catch up, before I could cruise after it. No way was I letting a Gundam that shouldn't have been able to keep up with me let alone fight alongside me, a Gundam sporting the Triforce surrounded by five symbols of wings, a scythe, a gun, a shotel, and a sword, fly off without my first figuring out where the heck it came from. Then another weird thing happened. The Gundam flew straight into a black hole, crushed into a little tin can. I hesitated, then figured, what have I got to lose, so I followed it.

I was crushed, a very unpleasant feeling by all means, as well as painful. But then I was uncrushed as well, an equally unpleasant sensation. I spotted the Gundam flying away from the black hole and quickly followed it, doing my best to take note of where I am. The weird thing was, it seemed as if we were just moving away from the same spot. The same stars were around. It didn't seem as if we were in a new place. Filing this oddity for later, I kept up following the Gundam, noting that it's heading seemed to be straight for Hyrule.

I followed the Gundam to Hyrule, noting the lack of defense satellites around the planet, but also noting the moon that seemed to be pulsating with green veins across its surface. Strange. I landed with a strange sense of nostalgia, in the middle of Hyrule field, as I watched wing Zero sink beneath the ground as if it weren't even there. I flew to the spot it disappeared only to feel rather solid ground.

I then looked around. Not much was different. I did note the lack of ruins laying around Hyrule field, and that Hyrule field seems much larger somehow. And Hyrule Castle is no longer sitting in it's original spot, nor is it anything remotely like it's original. It seemed to be sitting quite a ways back from the sprawling metropolis that is Hyrule Castle Town. A metropolis that I would guess could cover half of the North American continent, yet amazingly, the Castle, or palace/citadel I'd call it now, was still visible, even though it's on the opposite side of the metropolis from where I am. Although the fact that I have a Faerakin's eyes might help.

I judged a human might only be able to see the skyscrapers that jutted well over the castle walls, which had changed only in that they were now smooth and pearl white, and had crystal lights rather than torches. As for the city itself, every building seemed as if it was almost built by a different race from different time frames. To say it's amazing would be an understatement.

Flying among the buildings, I headed straight for the palace. I landed in front of the drawbridge, and appraised it. The castle seems a cross between Protoss and Human architecture; Turrets, smooth and sloping, with one giant central tower, faceted in crystals both glowing and decorative, and the entire thing is a pearl white color. Beautiful. The funny thing about it all is despite the technology displayed, the entrance is still a drawbridge across the surrounding moat, never mind the moat might as well be quite a few miles across, or that the drawbridge is already down. At least the chains appear to be made of light rather than metal, and the bridge itself is paved marble rather than wood.

I walked across the bridge, going at human speed for the first time in many years just to admire the beauty of it all and soak in the fact that my dreams might come true very soon. As I stepped through the archway, I noted how it seemed that as soon as I stepped in the castle, even though there was no door, it seems as though all outside sounds ceased. Like an invisible door. I walked down the halls, admiring the rich crimson carpeting, the white walls with black trim and blue designs, decorated by the occasional painting, some of which I recognized. And the light level seemed to be set for an intimate setting, with lamps set below the pictures illuminating them for viewers. All in all, I'd all but fallen in love with the place. The hall sloped out and opened up in a grand hall that could have fit a dozen Gundams all with arms spread without fingers touching. The same theme as the hallway applied, though toss in a brighter atmosphere due to chandeliers, a see through ceiling to the sky above, and a hallway circuiting the entire place, with only a thin divider wall consisting of crisscrossing diagonal pieces with enough spacing to allow for diamond openings in the wall, and with plenty of open archways staggered all around the hall.

All in all, it lead to a very open feeling without feeling too overwhelming. I spied doors along the halls and at the very end two more halls that branch off and away from this room, and between those two branching hallways, directly opposite the entrance to the castle, is a grand set of oak double doors with a gold Triforce jutting from the wall over the door, with red, blue, and green back lighting behind each Triforce piece that the color stands for. Making my way to this door, I admired the giant pictures set on the walls of the domed and sloping roof leading to the open ceiling. It amazed me more that occasionally the pictures would change.

Halfway across the large, echoing, empty room, a voice called to me, “Hello.” I jerked to my left, surprised that I hadn't even felt a presence and even more floored when I spied myself, or a person who looks like me before I turned into Nerasethiel and spent 30 years on the run. Despite my surprise, I managed to say, “Hello.” Back. My double walked over to me and shook my hand, and introduced himself as Tassadar. I couldn't help the grin that nearly split my face then. I now had all but 100 percent confirmation now that the Tassadar I had dreamed of when I was young is real and since that's the case, the Hylian Elite Guard exists too, and if I can finish whatever task Tassadar appoints, then I can finally have the life of peace I've always dreamed of.

I was so deliriously happy and lost in my thoughts that I was hardly paying attention to what was being said until he said, “Welcome to they Hylian Elite Guard.” I was floored and said, “What?” He smiled and said, “it's ok. I know you were lost in your thoughts while we were talking. I'll say it again. You've already proven yourself worthy of the HEG. I've been watching you for a while and I could hardly turn down one of my alters, not with the desperate cry for help I'm hearing from you. So welcome to the Hylian Elite Guard Nerasethiel, King of Faerakins.”

I then woke up in a room that reminded me of my bedroom at home, and also reminded me of the Faerakin architecture that my mother, Serenity, had shown me from her memories. I felt more at home than I ever have in my life, and I spotted on the back of my right hand, my personal symbol of the HEG. A crossed replica of of Mathias and Asela overlaid with the Triforce, wrapped in a wreath of wings. I couldn't possibly have been happier.

And so after exploring my new room a little, I stepped out of the room and started opening doors to other rooms, beginning my new role as one of the Hylian Elite Guard Commanders.