Legend of Zelda: Divine Vessel

- Prologue -

5...

The two girls watched the pocket-watch intently.

4...

They sat on the twelve-year-old's mattress, waiting for the last seconds to tick by until she finally turned thirteen.

3...

They exchanged eager and excited looks before returning to watching the long and thin mechanical arm turn across the glass cover of the pocket-watch.

2...

The young girls braced themselves.

"One!" They exclaimed in unison.  In a single, quick movement the older girl wrapped her arms around the now thirteen-year-old.  "Happy birthday, Nova." She whispered in her ear.

"Thank you, Zelda." The younger girl replied gratefully.

However, the moment she returned the affectionate embrace, pain emitted through her veins and the two were forced apart. Nova's undeveloped body slammed against the wall, hitting her head hard enough to cause her to lose consciousness.  Meanwhile, Zelda's thin frame was thrown from the bed they were anxiously sitting on, also slamming her head roughly on the tiled floor and sending her into an immediate slumber.

Panicked footsteps thundering through the massive castle awoke Nova, but also brought upon a massive headache.  Through hazed vision, she made out the King's large form, cradling his daughter.  Beside him, she met the horrified blue eyes of the Queen.

"She's... she's cursed!" The woman stuttered, finally alerting the girl who was barely thirteen of the situation.  She pressed further against the intricately designed wall in fear. "She's a demon's child!" The Queen continued to cry.

"Get rid of her! She's not even our real child!" The King ordered as he pointed his finger at Nova.  Guards began to close in on both sides of her, but luckily, she was small.  She bolted like a terrified animal, weaseling her way through the many guards and running down the halls of the Hyrule Castle.

She managed to pull one of Zelda's dark travelling cloaks from where they hung outside of both of their rooms.  She quickly pulled it over her small shoulders and continued to run for her life.

Nova finally escaped the medieval castle and dodged through alleys and tall buildings, slipping on the wet stones as she ran.  She finally slowed down to catch her breath when she couldn't hear the pounding footsteps of the soldier's boots on the unpaved road.  She fell onto the brick wall and struggled to keep the tears from falling from her eyes.  Across from her, a golden frame leaned against the dirty wall, and inside, a fractured mirror reflected off of the dim lanterns of the street.  Nova crawled to it and wiped the mahogany strands of hair from her wet face.  She couldn't help but cry when she saw her demented reflection.

She had grown used to the sight of her unusual golden eyes, despite their rarity.  But the image she had grown familiar with was distorted.  She could see just fine through both eyes, but the pupil of her right eye faded into the gold iris.  And below that eye, a gold symbol was imprinted.  She had only recognized it from seeing on Zelda's hand.  However, she had no idea of what it was called.  Either way, it's triangular shape caused a sense of worry and fear to course through her veins.

The sound of pounding boots brought Nova to her feet yet again.  She quickly pulled the thick cloak's hood over her head and began to run deeper into the alley.

"There she is! She stole Princess Zelda's Wisdom! She must be caught!" A soldier demanded, thrusting through the narrow and dark alley.  Nova took a right turn where it appeared to end and squeezed through a hole below a building where she knew no one could follow her.  When she emerged on the other side, she could hear the confused voices that ran in the opposite direction, but still felt as though she was still being followed.

Nova knelt into a crevice in a brick wall and pulled her knees to her chest.  She allowed herself to sob, but if anyone decided to walk by in the early, dark, rainy morning, they wouldn't notice her due to her dull clothing and lack of noise.

But she was still discovered by a rather unusual man.

"Lady Nova." He spoke in a strangely sweet voice, holding out a grey-toned hand to get her attention.  She looked up to meet an onyx-colored eye, lined in a vibrant violet.  His left eye was covered by thick, snowy hair.  She was hesitant, so the man took her hand from where it was, clutching her leg.  He effortlessly pulled her from her secluded crevice and onto her small feet.  He lifted her chin so he could see her unusual golden eyes.

"Will you follow me as my apprentice?" He offered, though it seemed as there was no other option.  Nova had no place to go as she had been cast out from the Hyrule Castle.  She opened her mouth to respond, but no words were uttered.

"Of course you will! You don't have another option, do you?" He asked pointless questions.  His sickeningly sweet voice worried the young girl, but she still planned to follow him.

"I will be your master, Ghirahim.  Follow me, Lady Nova." He declared, pulling his own coat around his body like a vampire-like cape.  The statement did not refer to this particular moment, but for several years in the future.  It meant to follow him for years to come, as his apprentice.

Nova had no other option but to oblige.

*****

Two years passed and Nova followed her 'master' through life-threatening moments and not-so-dynamic days.  However, wherever she visited, townspeople accused her of 'stealing Princess Zelda's Wisdom' and ridiculed her.  Occasionally, they would throw rotten fruit and spit upon her.  Ghirahim would always clean her and give her kind, encouraging words.  He gave her the last glimpse of hope and faith in people.

Ghirahim has led her into a temple with ornate golden designs, but it has been overrun by monsters and dangerous creatures around every elaborately designed corner.  Nova followed him throughout the corridors, assuming he knew where he was going, though in reality, he was just sauntering through the halls.  Deep within the temple, they came across a formally designed chest, sealed obviously for decades.  Ghirahim opened the chest for her, and stood by it as he waited for her to claim the treasure inside.

She lifted a golden and silver elaborate blade.  It was long and thin, and appeared to glow in even slight light.  It possessed a sort of 'holy' aura that caused those who laid eyes on it to gape in awe.

"It's the Divine Blade." Ghirahim chuckled, flicking white locks of hair before they fell in front of his dark eye again.  "And it belongs to you." He smiled deviously and handed her a black sheath where she concealed the magnificent sword.

He then mindlessly leads the fifteen-year-old girl to the central room where evil lurks.  There, they encounter a corrupted creature that attacks them, and as a form of 'training' the mysterious man allows for Nova to battle it herself.

While she is occupied with the demented being, Ghirahim slips through a door without alerting her.  Nova watched the monster collapse before her, and in confusion, she felt the temple rumble.  Upon realizing the situation, she screamed in anger.

Ghirahim left the temple and sealed Nova inside.

For three entire years...