µµµ Chapter One: The Arousing µµµ Ashlynn woke up. She was still a little incoherent, but she was up. Things were dreary, she saw a boy, wearing a green tunic about the age of 16 above her...

"Wha...!?" she sat up quickly, bowling the poor boy that was leaning over her over. She shrieked of the pain that throbbed in her forehead. The boy got up. "You ought to be a little less agressive! That is, untill you go into battle. Then feel free to go psyco and kick some a..." She cut him off, drearily yelling at his face, "Who are you!?" The boy gave her a look, and calmly knelt down beside her. "Okay, number one, calm down". She nodded and tried her best not to scream, I mean the guy in her dreary state looked like he was wearing a skirt... "Okay. Now come with me." Ashlynn reluctantly tried to get up, but let a noise of pain slip. Her ankle was sprained. The boy turned around. "Need any help?". Even though she persisted, he easily picked her up and carried her over to the house of Impa.

***

When they got there, the boy opened the door and set her on the table. The chicken lady shrieked, "What happened, and who are you!!??" The boy looked around. All the elders were woken from their dreamy sleep, they had started drowsing about 3 hours ago, for that was when Ashlynn left. "First," the boy said, "my name is Link. I come from the Kokiri forest. I was on my way to the Shadow Tem... er, the Graveyard. When entering the village, I saw a sail of the windmill crack and fall off. Unfortunately, this girl here was standing right underneath. She has a nasty bump, and there's something wrong with her ankle." One of the elders, who wore a blue robe and one of those little highly awesome blue hats that jewish guys wear, stepped up to Link.

"We thank you young man, you will stay for a while, won't you??" Link looked a little anxious to get back to his journey, but seeing the hurt Grove on the table, he immediately spoke up. "Ur, look guys, are you like, going to do anything...?" He pointed to Ashlynn. The chicken lady gasped and ran outside. It was a nervous time in which there was no talking. Suddenly, Ashlynn went unconsious again.

***

Link quickly ran to her and shook her by the shoulders a little. She didn't wake up. Suddenly an old woman holding a small striped cat and a bag accompanied by the chicken lady slowly hobbled into the room. Seeing poor Link's frustrated face, she smiled, and motioned for him to move away. "Pleassse ssson. I will take caarree of thisss." Link quickly nodded and jumped out of the way. The old woman set her bag on the floor. "Thisss isss more ssserious than it looksss..." She took out a small cloth. She set it on the now not-breathing girl. Link drew the Sword of Evil's Bane and stuck it in the floor, leaning on it nervously, some of the elders couldn't take their eyes off the sword.... He was sweating. The old witch drew a jar of a strange red fluid out and took a deep gaze into it. She shook her head.

She looked to Link, then the sword, and gasped. She then looked at the girl. Nobody was quite sure of what the old solitary woman said. But it would have a major impact on everyone's life. It sounded like "You were meant, you shall accept power." Link had known about the red potion, in fact he had some under his shield. He wondered why the woman didn't just give it to her. "No! She needs else." That was the clear thing she said. She then put the red potion away and pulled out a small bottle filled with a blue one. Link had never seen this before.

The old woman slowly poured the blue potion onto the cloth that was on the girl's chest. She opened her eyes, took in a sharp breath, and sat up with power. The cloth that was sitting on her fluttered to the floor and vanished. "Where..? What happened...??" The old woman quickley hushed her, and started walking out the door. As it closed, Link shouted. "Hey lady! WAIT!" He ran to the partially closed door. As he swiftly jerked it open, the woman was gone. Link, wide eyed, turned to the group inside. Surprising to him, the group inside was wide eyed, too. But not at the old lady, but at Link, more like his sword.

"That... That's the Master Sword... The sword of Evil's Bane..," whipered low an Elder. "Oh, crap, not now..." Link lamented under his breath. "All I want to do is get back to my mission." The Elder approached him and held out his hands pleadingliy. Link placed the black hilt in his hand. Fantiscized, he looked over the shining blade. "This.. Is it! How did you get it??" Suddenly, a dawning realization crept across the elder's face. "Heavens to Farore! This boy is the Hero of Time!! He is blessed by the gods!" Ashlynn gasped and ran to the elder. "Oh, no way! Let me see this!" She took the sword and held it out to see the magnificant scabbard work on the hilt. As she held it, the room darkened, and the blade glowed an erie blue, then quickly changed to a flaming orange. She shrieked and dropped it. Link, in fascination, just stared at Ashlynn.

Link, still staring intently at the beautiful girl, bent down to pick up the sword. He held it out strait, and once again it glowed an erie blue, then changed to a flaming orange. But Link held it. He then made a brilliant spin attack and decimated the table in the center. The cow in the stall mooed. Link then held the sword out to Ashlynn, still staring at her. She took the hilt and once again held it out. She got the power to work and felt the magic course through her body. She spun it when it was blue. Link just walked over to her and took her hand and raised it up. She was blessed by the gods.

***

Suddenly, it was day. The sun did not move. Everyone was frozen in time, everyone, that is except Link and Ashlynn. Ashlynn was shivering, looking around the room. Link was holding the occarina. He took it from his mouth. "Okay, now, lets explain to Link here some things. I have the time." Grove shrugged her shoulders and spoke, "When I was dead there on the table, my skull cracked, I received a message from Nayru. At least I think it was Nayru..." She touched the tip of her pixie-like Hylian ears, obviously in deep thought. Link looked at the sky, waiting. "Yes, it was Nayru," she said. "She told me, 'Listen to the woman, my love will guide you'. I then heard gramms (the woman). She said "[This has been edited out by the writer, these words will be reveiled some day, but not now]". That is why I have... This gift. Don't you understand? I have magic! I have been blessed by the great god Din! She gave me her flame!!" Link looked extremely skeptical. "And let me guess, Farore gave you her Wind??" Ashlynn looked frustrated and sat down on the table wreckage in the middle of the room. "OUCH!" She then bolted up. She pulled out a small crystal from a pouch on the back of her dress. It had a red dot in the center that was glowing. "What is this??" she asked.

***

Prepare for the next chapter in the "Power Corrupts" series: 2. Exile