The Legend of Zelda: Shining Hearts

Hi no Seijin · March 18, 2010, 11:18:19 AM

Here's the first part of the first chapter for my Zelda/Kingdom Hearts crossover fanfic, The Legend of Zelda: Shining Hearts. I'd like to see if I'm merging the two game series smoothly so far before I post it on deviantART.

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Chapter 1 – The Sage of Lightning

"It is a given that every path in life will have shadows fall upon it; only fools try to avoid it. But those with strength and courage will bring light to the darkness, even if they must embrace it to do so."

Genevra was quite sure she was not allowed to be up on this floor of the castle, but it wasn't as if she even wanted to be there in the first place. She had happened to be in Kakariko Village when King Leonid Markovic decided he was too old for the throne and abdicated it to his eldest daughter, Princess Natalia. The half-Gerudo, half-Hylian hadn't even considered attending the coronation ceremony and subsequent ball, but Bill had asked her to come, and the innkeeper was a good friend; the promise to satisfy her after the ball didn't hurt either. But after an hour of enduring such a large crowd, something she was not at all fond of, Genevra decided she needed a break, and it would have been unfair to Bill to leave without him, especially after he spent so much time bragging that she came with him. At least Bill hadn't blurted out, accidentally or otherwise, that she was a violinist. The one currently playing downstairs was terrible and was gratefully drowned out by the rest of the orchestra; she was a quick study, but the young woman didn't much feel like playing tonight.

Genevra Rainblade was slightly taller than the average Hylian woman, and slightly smaller than the average Gerudo woman. Her long, brown hair had streaks of brownish-red in it, and, despite Bill's protests, tied back in a simple ponytail. She had also refused to buy an elegant dress for the occasion; this was to be a one time deal, and the hybrid was a drifter, playing her violin to make a living. The dress would have been far too fancy to be ruined by her roaming lifestyle. Besides, her athletic build, inherited from her unknown Gerudic mother, made her look odd in any dress other than a riding dress, and Genevra preferred to do her own walking.

She found a balcony overlooking the city, so she stepped outside and leaned against the railing, enjoying the look the last rays of the sun gave the sky. The half-Gerudo was not there long before she noticed movement to the left of her and a voice asked, "Beautiful, isn't it?"

"Yeah," Genevra murmured, turning her head to look at her companion. She jumped back when she saw that it was Queen Natalia's younger sister, Princess Zelda. The hybrid may not have cared much for royalty of any kind, but she had enough sense to act respectful. "Your Highness!" she exclaimed, an edge of panic in her voice, and bowed deeply. "I'm sorry, it's just that-"

"It's enough that you're sorry," the princess interrupted. "Now straighten yourself out. I have no desire to speak to your neck."

Genevra did so with a blush. "I doubt there's much I can tell you that you would be interested in."

"I'll be the judge of that," the Sheikah princess said with an amused smile. "Let's start with your name and where you're from."

"I'm Genevra Rainblade, from Rauru Town."

"You've come a long way for the coronation."

"I'm just in town to visit a friend. I'm on the road a lot."

"Doing what?"

Genevra squirmed. "I play the violin."

"You must be better than that girl downstairs if you can make a living off of it." Princess Zelda smiled. "I won't ask you to take her place, don't worry. Your mother must worry about you with you always on the move."

The other woman turned back to the balcony railing and continued leaning against it. "I doubt that," she said emotionlessly. "She left me at an orphanage when I was born."

The Sheikah frowned. "I know Gerudos aren't much of a people for fathers, but I'm sure your mother could have managed to raise you by herself."

"My mother was the Gerudo."

The frown deepened. "That can't be right. The magic in a Gerudo woman's blood keeps the child a pure-blood."

"Disowning the race breaks the magic. That's what they told me when I went to live in Parapa Desert for a year when I was sixteen."

"Then they must have known your mother. Did you ask them about her?"

Genevra nodded. "They didn't know her. They had only heard that a woman from Gerudo Valley had abandoned their ways. When I told them that my mother was Gerudo, half of them treated me like I was a shame to the race, and the other half acted like I was to always be pitied. I had to leave the settlement and join one of the nomadic tribes. But I didn't really think much of the lifestyle in the desert, so I left them as well. Before I went, they gave me the violin I was learning on as a gift and wishes that I'll discover who I am."

"And who are you?"

The hybrid woman shrugged. "I'm half-Gerudo and half-Hylian. I'll take from each what I want, but I won't declare sole loyalty to either half."

"A woman should not be without a nation."

"The way I figure it, I don't need a nation. I'm loyal to friends. I treat them well, and they do the same for me. It's worked my whole life."

"Well, that philosophy might make this next part harder."

Genevra looked at the purple-haired woman curiously and anxiously. "What next part?"

"I was reading the Book of Mudora, and it appears that the nine Sages of the Triforce, and I'll assume you did learn about them in school, are only traditional sages, the core group of elements, if you will. Light and Shadow to represent the Hylians and Sheikahs, respectively. Time and Water to stand for Nayru. Earth and Fire for Din. Forest and Wind are Farore's representatives. And for the Goddess of the Sand, the Gerudos give us the Sage of Spirit. But the Triforce is a representation of far greater power, and there are additional Sages, one for each element of nature. I don't know which one you are, but you are one. I sense in you what I sense in the others."

The half-Gerudo just stood there, blinking, trying to take that in. She, a Sage of the Triforce? She had learned about them, of course; raised as a Hylian, Genevra was sent to school. But they were something she never thought about outside of an academic setting. Finally, she found her voice. "I never used magic before."

"Well, that doesn't mean you can't start now. Cheslav?"

Genevra turned back to the entrance to the hallway and saw a grey-haired Sheikah man cloaked in dark purple step into view. "Yes, Princess?"

"Go see where that gentleman Mistress Rainblade came with lives, and then go fetch her belongings. I doubt she will want to wear the same dress day after day." He bowed and left.

"Wait, what?!" Genevra exclaimed in panic. "I don't get a say in this?"

Zelda turned back to the other woman and smiled. The hybrid gulped; it was the determined, confident smile of someone who was going to have her way, no matter how many toes she treaded on. "I am determined to ferret out every Sage I can find. Now come with me." The princess began to walk in a quick pace, not even bothering to look back to see if Genevra followed.

Which she really didn't have much of a choice but to follow. "What if you're mistaken?"

"I'm not. I know the feel of that power that resides in you. If you want more proof, the Keyblade I will be giving you will certainly provide more evidence that you are a Sage; all of the Sages have the strength of heart to wield a Keyblade."

Genevra stumbled at that. "But...the Keyblade is just a story, a tale told to little kids."

"And why it is I can't begin to fathom. But they do exist. See for yourself." And she opened a door to a room filled with Keyblades, completely gold in color, and where the hilt, guard, and blade met was the Triforce. Some were hanging on the back wall, others were piled in the two back corners, and a few more were lying upon a table, again at the back of the room. "Kingdom Key H's. At last, I know what they are for." She strode over to the table and picked one up. In one quick motion, she offered the hilt to Genevra. "If I am right, and I am damn sure I am, then you will be able to hold this. Once it is in your hands, it will transform into a Keyblade that will represent your element, and it will forever be yours to summon."

Genevra reached out, hesitant to grab the hilt. "I'll be yours to command then, to fight for the sake of Hyrule?"

"You'll be mine to command, to fight for the sake of the world. The Heartless do not care where their prey come from."

She pulled her hand back slightly. The tales said that the Heartless was the epitome of evil, a fearsome foe that hunted for hearts. "They're real as well?"

"As real as they can be without a heart. I have no intention to embroil you, or myself, in the politics of Hyrule. Even if I were the older sister, I would have left ruling Hyrule to Natalia. My concern is the enemy military might has no effect against. The Heartless have been inactive in Hyrule recently, but I will not risk the chance that they will remain so. If they overwhelm the Sages, then everyone is doomed, including the friends you hold dear."

Genevra took her eyes off of the Keyblade and looked into Princess Zelda's eyes and wondered if she somehow had a hand in her deciding to visit floors she had no right to visit. The determined look was still there, but now it was a look determined to protect those who couldn't protect themselves. For the princess, it was a foregone conclusion, even without the mention of the hybrid woman's friends to snare her. But she had taken the trouble to provide insurance that she got her way, and Genevra wouldn't let her down.

As she took the Keyblade's hilt and Zelda let go, it gave off a flash of light, forcing Genevra's eyes closed for a moment. When she opened them again, the Keyblade had changed, keeping much of the yellow color, but the hand guard gradually faded into a darker yellow as well as changing its shape. At the tip of the blade was an X-shape that was white at the tip but faded into a dark grey, and surrounding the X was a spiked arc, black in color.

The princess was already at a book stand, a large book with an ancient, dark green cover on it, flipping through the pages with careful haste. "Ah, here it is," she said. "The Abbadon Plasma. An excellent Keyblade to accompany lightning magics." The Sheikah turned around to a small desk behind her, where a sheet of parchment laid. She inked the quill and muttered to herself as she wrote, "Sage of Lightning, Genevra Rainblade. Excellent. We'll begin your training tomorrow," she said out loud.

The half-Gerudo looked around the room. "Uh, where's a sheath for my sword?"

"It's a Keyblade, something vastly different from a sword. If you're not going to refer to it by its proper name, then call it a Keyblade. Unless you want to throw your enemy off, of course. And there is no sheath made to hold a Keyblade. When they are not in use, they are stored in a personal pocket dimension."

"And how do I do that?"

"Hmmm, well, I guess your training begins tonight. It's very simple. Merely think about storing your Keyblade, and then let the magic flow through you. Your pocket dimension already exists around you, so you need not think about forming it, just placing your Keyblade there until you are ready to call it again."

"And how do I let magic flow through me?" Genevra asked with apprehension in her voice.

"It's not something that can really be explained. It's just something you have to do. Relax, performing magic will not harm you. At least as long as you don't try to do something with it that the Laws won't allow you."

"What sort of sadistic king creates laws-"

"No, no, not those kinds of laws. Laws, with a capital L. I'll explain it tomorrow, but for now, I'm sure my sister is wondering where I am, and I'm sure your date is wondering where you are as well. Just think about storing Abaddon Plasma, and let the magic store it."

Genevra sighed and cleared her mind, thinking only about storing her Keyblade. After awhile, she felt a slight sensation moving through her arm, and the Abbadon Plasma disappeared in an arc of lightning. "I felt something in my arm," she said, concern poking through.

"Don't worry about that; it's just magical energy flowing through you. Once you learn to surrender and let it take its own course, you can start to learn how to work with it and control what it does. Now come, let's return to the ball."