[Act] The Legend of Aru (M)

Hello, everyone! The Legend of Aru is a story I wrote. xD; I had a lot of fun writing it, and I hope you have just as much fun reading it! I wrote it about a year ago, so forgive me if there are any blatant errors. Enjoy! (You may have seen this story before. I was Ohmygasha! on the old NSider forums, where this story won first place in the FotW contest. If you've read it before, read it again--you may notice something you didn't notice before!)

Quick summary: Long ago, the ancient land of Hyrulia lived and prospered in a Golden Age. There were no wars, plagues, or droughts. The Goddesses had planned for Hyrulia to continue on this bountiful path, planning the growth of a new land, called Hyrule, in the years to come.

However, the fate of Hyrulia is unknowingly altered by the actions of one small boy, Aru. Where Hyrulia was once bound to become a land of peace, Aru's mistakes eventually lead the land into darkness and suffering...



The Legend of Aru
Prologue

A faint breeze swirled along the shore, bringing with it the smell of seawater. Overhead, an owl flew by, alighting on the gusts of wind, flapping its wings in a somewhat urgent way. Azure waves crashed upon the coastline, dropping the contents of the sea with them--various seashells, exotic plants, and sometimes a live fish.

Aru watched all of this with eager excitement. It was his first time visiting the sea. He sat on the coast of the sea, letting the waves splash over his feet, laughing at how strange it felt. He looked back, seeing his mom and dad standing beside the cottage they shared.

It stood far from the shore, under the tranquility and shade of the patch of palm trees that sprang up around it. It was made of yellow stone, and had a thatched roof, like most houses in the land.

Suddenly, the weather took a turn for the worst. In almost no time at all, the skies turned from peaceful tones of blue into raging streaks of grey. The breeze turned into a howling jet of air, nearly knocking Aru over. Rapidly, he sprang to his feet and began to run back to the cottage. As he ran up the slope of sand leading to safety, his foot caught a large rock, and he fell upon the sand. Lightning flashed over head, licking at the sky with golden fingers. It was soon followed by monstrous claps of thunder that drowned out Aru's cries for help.

He brought himself to his feet, brushing the sand off of him. It no longer felt smooth to the touch, but rather like thousands of wasps biting into his tender flesh. He ran towards the cottage again, but it seemed to extend farther and farther from him with every step.

Aru reached out a hand towards his father. The sea roared behind him, churning angrily and spitting up foam. Tears streaming down his cheeks, Aru cried out for his father again and again, trying to catch up with his rapidly retreating form.

His father responded by extending a firm hand towards Aru. Aru leaned forward to grab it, but in that instant, a flash of lightning crashed on the spot where his father was. Aru fell back from the force of the lightning, being nearly deafened by the growling thunder.

He opened his eyes, frantically searching for his father, but nothing was there...nobody was there to save him. Only his mother stood there, gazing listlessly out into the raging sea...

Aru awoke with a start, a cold sweat covering him. Shivering violently, he sat upright in bed. He swallowed hard, and took a few deep breaths to calm his racing heart. He glanced out of the window, slowly realizing he was in his cottage.

Outside, the sea was calm and unmoving.

Hi, ohmygasha! I was from Nsider, too (POE-GUY). Never read any of your fan fictions, but this one cought my attention. So far, I find it pretty interesting and want to read more. I also like the banner. Did you make it yourself? I'll keep an eye on this fiction. See you around!

Originally Posted by Ohmygasha!

-dances- I always get excited when I get my first reader.

And as for the banner, I didn't make it. I can't remember who it was...it was either Meteo or Kinan who made it, but it was a while ago. xD;

I'll have to figure out when to post the next chapter. I don't want to be overzealous and have the whole thing posted too quickly. xD

Lol, glad to be the first. Well, whoever made it, it's a very cool banner. Yes, it's probably best if you wait for more responses before posting chapters. I'm also curious about what happened to the rest of Nsider. Hope you don't mind a PM.

-dances- I always get excited when I get my first reader.

And as for the banner, I didn't make it. I can't remember who it was...it was either Meteo or Kinan who made it, but it was a while ago. xD;

I'll have to figure out when to post the next chapter. I don't want to be overzealous and have the whole thing posted too quickly. xD

The Legend of Aru
Chapter 1 - The Empty Lamphook

The sun rose slowly, casting the first few weak rays of light on the cottage. Aru rose from bed, trying to shake off the memories of his nightmare. He walked down a small corridor that led into the kitchen. It was lit by oil lamps that hung on the wall at regular intervals. The walls were made out of the same yellow, sandy brick that the outside of the cottage was made out of.

He reached the end of the hallway, and entered the kitchen. It was scarcely furnished--a wood stove in one corner, a water basin full of old plates in the other. In the middle of the room was a small wooden table, with an unlit candle on it.

Above the door leading outside there was a long shelf, with a row of picture frames. In each frame was a picture of his father, and here and there was a memento: his captain's hat, a shiny pearl, the fang of a sea monster.

Instead of going outside, he turned to his right and looked down the corridor that led to his mother's room. It was exactly the same as the corridor he had walked through, with a room at the very end of the hall.

There was no movement. Aru paused and held his breath for a moment, leaning towards the end of the hall. Nothing. There were no signs of life. Then, Aru cast his gaze to the door that led outside. The lamphook that hung to the right of the door was empty.

Aru opened the heavy wooden door, a sea breeze greeting him as the door swung on its hinges. He stepped through, closing the door behind him. Quickly, he scanned the shore, and then spotted a faint orange glow far off. He ran towards it, sand flying up behind him as he dug his heels into the ground.

As he neared the orb of light, a form began to take shape beside the light. First he recognized the tall, willowy build. Then, the short auburn hair. And finally, the dark green dress.

"Mom!" Aru shouted, reaching the figure. Sure enough, Aru's mother was standing there, holding the lamp that belonged in the lamphook back at the house. She did not even acknowledge Aru's presence. Her gaze was fixed on the sea. A chill bit into Aru's skin, but he wasn't sure if it was the weather, or the eerie way his mother watched the horizon.
"Mom, how long have you been here?" Aru gasped, shaking her. Her skin was ice cold. "All night? A few hours? How long was it this time?"

His mom turned slowly to him, staring at him with empty eyes.

"Aru," she whispered. "He hasn't come back yet." Aru blinked, and stared at her blankly for a moment. However, a flash went off in his head, and suddenly he remembered what she was talking about.

"Dad's not coming back," Aru managed, despite the lump growing in his throat.

"But he promised," his mom replied, turning her gaze back to the sea.

"He can't come back, mom," Aru cried. "He's dead!" These words stung both him and his mom, but she still didn't seem to register anything.

"No," she said simply. "He's just having boat trouble. It's happened before. He'll be back soon. I promised to wait for him until he returned, and I will not break my promise."

Forcefully, he hooked his arm around his mom's elbow, dragging her towards the cottage. For such a frail woman, she stood her ground well.

"Have you even slept?" Aru asked gently, when his mother consented to be lead back to the cottage. When she did not answer, he pressed on.

"You cannot keep doing this to yourself," he paused, while he opened the cottage door. "It's been a year--you have to accept the fact that...that dad is dead. He died at sea when a horrible storm hit. He's never coming back." Aru's eyes stung, and his voice cracked as he finished his sentence.

His mother shook her head and headed to the left corridor, the one that led to her room. She placed the lamp on the table as she passed by. Aru sighed and picked it up, blowing the flame out and hanging it on the lamphook.

He followed her down the hallway. She had left her door open, and she entered easily. At the doorway, Aru hung back, reluctant to enter. His mother kneeled in front of an altar. A wreath of holly and sea lilies circled a portrait of Aru's father. It hung on the wall, above a shelf with a single blood-red candle and two incense sticks, both unlit.

Slowly, his mother lit both incense candles, filling the room with the gentle scent of lavender and vanilla. She lit the candle in between the two incense sticks. The flame flickered and sputtered, before gaining strength and casting a faint light on Aru's mother's face. She lowered her head and brought her hands together below her chin.

"Arthur, your son has lost faith in you. However, I have not. I know that you will soon return home, as you promised. You are a man of your word, as you have shown me through our years of marriage. I will faithfully carry out my end of the promise. If it takes til the end of time, I shall wait for you. I will wait until your ship appears on the horizon, bringing your loving silhouette with it. Please hurry, Arthur. May Nayru's blessing speed your journey forward and bring you home to me."

She opened her eyes and raised her head, blowing out the red candle. The light from the flame disappeared, and was replaced by smoke that rose slowly to the ceiling.

Aru turned solemnly and walked through the corridor, walking into the kitchen again. He exited the house, wiping the tears away that stung at his eyes. He walked away from the shore, heading to the huge expanse of fields that extended to the south as far as the eye could see.

Soon, the sand dissipated and grass began to poke out in little tufts from the choking sand. The tufts then turned into patches of grass as Aru went on, until finally, he was standing at the edge of the large field. A giant line of trees barred his way to the fields. He looked beyond the first set of trees, looking deeper into the forest that extended beyond it. He knew most of these woods well--when he was not taking care of his mother, he was exploring the land around his house.

He stepped into the woods, welcoming the cool shade as the sun rose higher overhead. He wasn't paying very much attention to where he was going, and soon found himself deep in the woods, hopelessly lost. He looked around, but saw trees in every direction. Moss seemed to grow on every side of the trees. Bright flowers poked up beneath the underbrush, and small rodents ran across Aru's path as he walked. He didn't remember this part of the forest.

He forced himself to try to remember which way he had come, but it was hopeless. He couldn't recall where he had come from, much less where he was now. He sat down next to a small sapling, sighing and placing his head in his hands.

"Can I help you?" A voice spoke from behind Aru.

Startled, Aru leapt to his feet and tried to run away. Unfortunately, his legs got entangled, and he fell flat on his face.

"Um," the voice spoke again. "Did you mean to do that?"

Aru groaned and brought himself to sit up on his knees. Still facing away from the voice, he brushed the dirt off of his tunic, pulled a tiny spider from his ankle, and turned around.

"Actually--" Aru had a witty comment ready, but it evaporated the moment he saw who had spoken. In front of him was a sapling. It was fairly thin, it's trunk only about the size of Aru's fist. It's branches reached up into the sky, harboring a few measly leaves and a white flower or two. All very normal, until you took note of the human-like face on the trunk. It gave Aru a quizzical look, before waving a branch back and forth.

"Hello," the sapling cried. "Are you able to talk, or will I have to do it all?"

"You--" Aru stammered. "You're a tree!"

"Sapling, to be correct," the sapling stated, feigning an indignant expression. "And at least your observation skills are intact. Your thinking skills, however, I must say...they need work."

"Did I just get insulted by a twig?" Aru cried, and slapped himself on the forehead. The sapling considered him for a moment before speaking again.

"You've never seen a talking sapling, have you?"

"No!" Aru whispered. He summoned up his courage, and crawled towards the sapling. He reached out a hand and plucked a leaf from its branch, trying to register all of this.

"Ow!" The sapling cried, slapping Aru's hand with a branch. Aru jerked his hand back, nursing the whelp that was sure to form there.

"How can you talk?" Aru was again fascinated by the sapling, ignoring the pain rising on the back of his hand.

"Well," the sapling began, adopting an omniscient tone. "Some say I am the product of Farore herself. They think that she returns to this land every few aeons, planting a magical tree that will counterbalance most of the toxins in the land. Sometimes, she plants the tree too early. I guess I was too early."

"So you think you're a magical tree," Aru paused. "A magical tree that was made by Farore."

"Oh no, Ithink that's silly," the sapling nodded matter-of-factly. "I merely said others thought that."

"I've read stories about those magical trees, though," Aru recalled.

"You've also read about Windfish and sorcerers capturing elven women," the sapling added. "But we all know that is a load of--"

"Labrynna was real, and had a magic tree!" Aru protested.

"Well--"

"And Holodrum!"

"Dear goddess!" The sapling screamed angrily. "It was just a theory."

"You don't sound very magical," muttered Aru.

"O hero of the woods," the sapling said sarcastically. "Dost this suiteth thine tastes?" If it was possible, the sapling rolled its eyes.

"Do you have a name?" Aru suddenly asked.

"What? Of course I--" the sapling paused, and thought about it. "No...no I don't, come to think of it. I never needed a name. I was merely a talking sapling in the woods. No purpose in the world but to spook the rabbits that run by."

"Hmm," Aru thought for a moment. "Well, it would make sense to name you after the woods you are growing in."

"Oh?" The sapling replied, suddenly more interested in a red beetle that scuttled across its topmost branches.

"Yes," Aru nodded, quite pleased with himself. "I'm going to name you after these woods. They were named after a very brave soldier who died here, back when the entire land was desert. He was very cunning, quick-witted, and sly. The only problem was, his mouth often got him into trouble." At this, Aru gave a meaningful glare at the sapling, who was trying to droop like a weeping willow, making a sigh whenever Aru paused.

"They say," Aru went on. "That he fell into a deal to build a city on the other edge of the country. He got here just fine, but with his quick mouth, found himself on the receiving end of a very sharp spear. It is also said that a single tree sprang up from his remains, years later. And, according to legend, this entire forest grew around that tree."

"What is your point?" The sapling cried, exasperated.

"My point is," Aru glared at the sapling. "You are very much like the soldier...Arias Deku."

"Do you remember how, earlier, I thought you couldn't talk?" The sapling asked, catching Aru by surprise.

"Um...yes?" Aru replied, thinking back to the earlier comment.

"You have thoroughly exceeded that notion."

With a wry smile, Aru leaned closer to the sapling.

"Nice to meet you too, Deku Sapling."

I just read chapter one. You do a good job on the description of things, making the events very detailed and easy to follow, and this is also true in the prologue.
I want to criticize the dialogue, though-- In some ways, it tends to distract the fluidity of the story. Sometimes I had to read the quote twice to keep going along the narrative. It's certainly not bad, though. Though please keep in mind that it's natural of me to usually read things more than twice:p I tend to want to fully analyze things or try to avoid getting lost/ miss something.
But, in any case, the first chapter is great, and I liked the transition of melancholic to the surprising/ hilarity of the sapling (which I believe it is suggested to be what is known as the Deku Tree in Ocarina of Time).

Can't wait for te next chapter

Salve, Ignis. I had just about--okay, scratch that. I had lost hope of anyone reading this. But since it's not completely dead, I might as well post more. :]

The Legend of Aru
Chapter 2 - Return

"How long have you been here?" Aru questioned. The Deku Sapling stroked a knothole--which Aru figured to be its chin--thoughtfully.

"A very long time," the Deku Sapling said finally. "But I can't really be sure. I didn't exactly keep track of the time."

"What's the first thing you remember?" Aru asked, trying to get a reasonable time frame.

"Germination," the Deku Sapling reminisced. "Oh, that sweet, sweet cotyledon...."

Aru gave the Deku Sapling a blank stare, and it furrowed its brow at Aru--or something like it. It turns out it's extremely difficult to furrow much of anything when you are entirely composed of bark.

"You never gave me your name," the Deku Sapling realized.

"Oh?" Aru pondered. "I was almost sure I had."

"No, you haven't," the Deku Sapling retorted. "You have given me a name, so it's only fair that I give you a name."

"It doesn't work that way," Aru protested.

"Why not?"

"Well, because," Aru thought about it for a moment. "I already have a name--my birth name. My--my parents named me when I was born."

"So, following your logic," the Deku Sapling said, "Since you named me, you are my parent."

"Ah!" Aru cried. "No, no! That's not at all what I meant!"

"Please explain," the Deku Sapling almost whined. "You are very confusing."

"My parents gave me a name when I was born," Aru explained. "They decided upon it, and it was officially known as my birth name."

The Deku Sapling nodded slowly. "Go on," he urged.

"However," Aru continued. "You did not have parents, nor anyone to name you. So, I gave you a name, which will from now on be your real name."

"But it's not my birth name," the Deku Sapling added.

"Correct," Aru nodded. "Since you don't remember your parents, and they didn't officially name you." Aru paused, and then furrowed his brow. "Wait--did your parents talk, too?"

The Deku Sapling did what amounted to a shrug. "The Goddesses alone know that."

"I'm Aru," Aru suddenly remembered the entire point of this tangent.

"Aru," the Deku Sapling sounded the word out slowly, trying it out, rolling it over his 'tongue.'

Aru glanced up through the trees. The sun was directly overhead now. It had to be around noon--his mother was probably wondering where he was.

Aru spoke suddenly, on a whim. "Do you know how to get out of here? I'm trying to get back to the coast."

"Oh, that's easy," the Deku Sapling replied. "Just walk west from here until you find a stream. It's fairly big, you can't miss it. Follow that downstream until you reach the sea. It empties out right at the coast."

"Thanks a lot," Aru smiled. He rose to his feet, and gathered his bearings. He turned and began to head west.

"Oh, Aru," the Deku Sapling called after him. Aru turned around, casting the Deku Sapling a quizzical look.

"Yeah?" Aru replied, wiping sweat off his brow.

"Um," the Deku Sapling paused, considering his words carefully. "It gets awfully lonely out here sometimes, and that path works both ways..." the Deku Sapling trailed off. "Wipe that smug look off of your face! It's not like I need your company or anything. I just--"

"I'll return tomorrow," Aru chuckled. He waved goodbye, and left the Deku Sapling to his own devices.

The path, as it turns out, did work. However, Aru ran into a few obstacles--including a rather ragged-looking salesmen waving him down and asking him how to get to the Market Square. Aru gave directions as best he could, and suggested that the journey might be easier if the salesmen didn't wear such a burdensome backpack, filled with useless masks.
The salesmen gave Aru a grave look, whispered his thanks, and left. Despite this and other obstructions, Aru made it out of the woods in one piece.

He gave a whoop of joy when he spotted the shoreline through the trees. He picked up his pace and ran at full speed, bursting through the barrier of trees, feeling as if he had been liberated from some suffocating prison. The sea breeze swirled around him, tousling his hair, and the smell of salt tickled his nose.

He turned to the left, and followed the shoreline for a while.

As the cottage at last came into view, Aru sighed in relief. The Deku Sapling had helped him return home...Aru was indebted to the kind--if sarcastic--sapling. Aru slipped off his sandals and walked through the water the rest of the way home. It brought an old sense of comfort, feeling the waves crash on his feet and letting the warm water hug his toes.

The sun, though it felt stifling in the woods, now felt nice and pleasant upon his tanned skin. Everything was right with the world. As he neared the cottage, he walked up the shoreline, away from the waves, putting his sandals on again, lacing them up deftly from years of practice.

Expecting a harsh scolding from his mother, Aru put on a pitiful expression and walked into the cottage. For good measure, he even added a tear or two, at the corners of his eyes.

"Arthur?" A faint voice drifted in from the left corridor. Aru's eyes widened, then he tried to swallow the lump in his throat.

"N-No," he called back softly. "It's me, mom...it's...it's Aru."

"Oh," his mom sounded disappointed. "Well, did you see your father on your way?" Aru paused, then cleared his throat.

"Yes," he said, his voice shaking. "He said he was going to be a while...he caught a fish so big, that it's going to take ten men to carry it over here."

"That's nice," his mom replied dreamily.

"Yeah," Aru whispered.

The tears weren't fake anymore.

Another good chapter, ohmygasha!

Aru's trip to the forest was an interesting one. Lol, poor Deku Sappling-- so wise yet so lonely in that same spot I'm eager to find out how their friendship influences the sappling's growth. Hopefully, the sappling can cheer up Aru from his sadness.
It also looks like Aru intersects with (another) OoT character. Given that it is the Mask salesman making his way to market square, it shows that the story is not too far away from the times of the OoT events. Though you clearly described them as "salesmen," so that doesn't necessarily suggest that the same mask salesman from OoT and MM is within the group. But I guess I'll find out