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~ Light Departs the Clouds of Shade ~
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     Narrator: Princess Zelda

Hyrule's future looked terribly bleak. Was I to die by the sword the evil one carried? I could not release myself from him. I could not even speak. I am sorry, Hyrule. I thought. I have failed you...again. I closed my eyes, expecting to die. However, I did not die. Instead, I heard a strange sound and felt an unusual heat in the wind, then heard Gravitor's cry of pain. He released me and I fell to the floor, where I collapsed. Supporting myself with my arm and rubbing my throat with coughs, I opened my eyes to see what had happened. I could smell the scent of burnt fabric. Gravitor stepped aside with a horrid scowl to see behind him. There, I saw a figure; a most familiar figure. But as it was familiar, it was also strange to me. This is how he appeared from a distance:
     The silhouette was large and unquestionably male. His body obviously muscular with broad shoulders and wide torso yet rather trim at his waist. His ears were very long and sharp. His hair, which flared out from a relaxed ponytail like a waterfall of fire, was very bright white. It flowed all the way to his bottom. His bangs covered the sides of his head and were parted in the middle, save a stray strand of hair that hung down in front of his face. His narrow eyes were dark like that of the midnight sky. His skin was well tanned. He wore a red tunic, light brown trousers and long sleeved shirt. His lower legs were covered with knee-high brown boots and his forearms were covered with bracers covered with brown metal. On his back was a sword, plain in style yet obviously a trusted tool. I could not see details at this point, though.
     "Who dares enter this place and assaults the Overlord?" Gravitor growled at the new figure.
     "No one in particular... I am but a wanderer of lands," the fire-haired man replied. His voice.... so masculine, yet a soft voice. Soothing, yet intimidating. Such a voice I would not soon forget. "Yet, I stand to protect innocent souls from guilty hands. Now... I'm only going to request this once. Step away from the Lady."
     "Hm hm hm heh heh heh heh heh... Do you honestly believe that I would listen to a nobody such as yourself?" the evil one mocked. "If you trust that you can protect Hyrule from me, then make me believe your worth!"
     "Very well," the warrior complied calmly. He drew his sword with such force, the sheath flew from his back, landing several feet away. His eyes narrowed even further. I knew he was upset more deeply than he let on. Gravitor gripped his own sword tightly with both hands, ready for the battle to come. One thing I noticed right away was that the warrior was left handed just like Link. I began to realize that this man looked remarkably like him, too. But he couldn't have been Link. He was much too big and his hair was too bright. I could also see it in his eyes; I did not know this man. But at the same time... I wanted to.
     My day dreaming came to a halt when the two combatants clashed their blades together. Putting their strength into their blades, they pushed on each other. At first, it seemed like the evil man was getting the upper hand but the warrior held up. With them in this position, it startled me to think that even though the red clad warrior was tall and heavy, Gravitor still stood higher than him. With a single final thrust, the warrior pushed the dark lord back a small distance. However, this left him open for Gravitor to straight-kick the young man in the chest. I was very surprised to not see him fall down. To give himself a chance to recover from that heavy blow, he held up his sword in a defensive manner. He was wise to do so, for it blocked a stabbing thrust from his foe. The man nearly toppled, but his large feet kept him stable. Gravitor swung at him again and the warrior spun his sword from its defensive position to an offensive one, blocking and deflecting the blow. This rendered the foe defenseless long enough. The swordsman stabbed forward and managed to hit Gravitor in the chest. Gravitor stumbled back but recovered and thrust forward with his shoulder, hoping to impale the young man. He was blocked by the warrior's swinging his sword to a defensive pose again and quick reflexes to do it in time! But he once again, it knocked him back a little. The dark lord pulled a cheap move and punched the stranger in the stomach, causing him to bend over. With that, he used his elbow to strike his neck, throwing him to the floor. Gravitor lifted up his Greatsword to strike again. In response to it, the stranger rolled in a half circle around his foe and came upwards, striking his back. The dark lord swung around with his blade out. The warrior ducked under the swing. Gravitor swung low and the warrior jumped on top of the flat blade and slammed his armored forearm on the evil man's head. I could not help but gasp at the sudden display of fast thinking. He back flipped with his sword outward, slicing upwards on his foe's torso, however the stomach of the evil one was shielded by his armor.
     But then, something happened that at first scared me greatly. Gravitor began to swing his Greatsword around wildly. Trying to keep out of the way, the stranger backed away and was trying to find a way through that swirling blade. Try as he might, his own blade was knocked out of his broad hand. With hands like those, it must have taken an awfully great amount of strength to accomplish that feat. The sword whirled fast in the air and stuck its blade into the wall. Remembering what followed after my guard had this happen to him, I feared that even this brave wanderer was going to fall. Gravitor thrust forward again with a kick and threw the man down on his back. He jumped forward and pinned him down by using the spikes on his knees. With Gravitor's hands raised and ready to deliver the finishing blow, the pinned stranger began to think quickly. His eyes searched the room and found the guard's sword on the ground nearby. He began making reaches for it, but they were subtle.
     "Heh heh heh heh... You foolish boy, did you really believe you stood a chance?" Gravitor boasted, grinning his calm but dastardly smile. "Now die and be an example to all the world that all who oppose my might shall fall by it!"
"I'll be an example, alright," the wanderer breathed. I didn't know what exactly he meant by that at the time.
     Gravitor startled to swing down to cut the man's head in half but was met by a sword strike to the neck! This caused him to let go of his sword, which found itself embedded into the floor. He stood up and began to back away from the warrior. I saw that a strange fluid began to ooze out of his wound. I did not know what it was and I still do not to this day. But I did know this, it was not blood. It was thicker than blood and colored purple. At the same time, an odd purple mist was rising from the nasty substance. The dark lord began breathing rather heavily as he spoke out to us, "A quick draw and a keen strategist. I will admit to you that you did well in this fight. If I were a mere mortal like you, I would have died easily by this. But I will not be beaten so simply." A strange black hole appeared and grew in the room behind the fleeing foe. He added, "You have just made your death wish, boy. I will be ready for your strikes... if you survive long enough to see me again..." He entered his hole and the anomaly shrank down and closed itself. One last time, the evil's voice whispered to us, "...for this siege was only a small portion of my plan..." Once all was quiet, the Greatsword vanished on its own. I realized that the new stranger just saved my life and the lives of all in Hyrule. I watched as he sat up and rose to his feet and began walking to me. That was when I took in the details of this stranger.
     His body had wondrous proportions but none of them were unattractive. I could not properly measure, but I would guess he stood over six feet tall. His skin was tanned in a lovely way, suggesting he spent the vast majority of his time outdoors. His face was most memorable to me, for it had an appearance close to Link, but features that made the display his own. His long hair blazed like intense flames yet its shine suggested softness and comfort in touching it. He had a lovely sized, pointed nose; not so small to be feminine, yet not large to be ugly. His mouth was of medium width, yet his lips were thin. His eyes, such memorable eyes, were quite narrow with maturity. Their color was dark and rich; a blue the shade of the midnight sky. I could see such seriousness inside them but also compassion and mercy. His chin was wider than Link's, seeming to give him a more sturdy appearance, and yet it wasn't box like. All his facial features were quite sharp and entrancing. I also looked at the rest of his body, but I kept looking back up to his captivating eyes. His neck was thicker than most, but nothing that would have made him less appealing. He was very muscular, I could tell. Even behind his clothes, I could see that his chest was huge and deep, even for a man his size of frame! His shoulders were rather broad and well rounded. His arms were very full with noticable peaks at the middle of his biceps. His well-sized hands appeared even larger than they were, for his wrists were thin, yet attached to widened, strong forearms which told me he must have an unbelievably tight grip. His body may have been large at his hips and torso, but his waist, while still wide with muscularity, wasn't quite so big like most other warriors I had seen. This told me that he took very good care of himself and this added to what I had just witnessed led me to believe he was athletic as well. His legs were long and nicely thickened with muscle, but not so much to take away from the appearance of them being pleasantly smooth. His feet, like his hands, were also quite large. He was overall a well developed man and one that I could scarcely take my gaze away from.
     His clothing seemed very familiar to me, but with a touch of uniqueness to make the look his own. His hair was very loosely bound by a tied red string at neck-level, not strictly at the back of his head. The rest of his head seemed bare of any accessories, but I did notice his ears held metal golden studded earrings with a long black crystal that hung down. They seemed rather fancy for a wanderer, at least in my opinion. In addition, he had a very curious necklace bound around his neck. It was a silver-plate with branches at each compass direction, containing a topaz jewel in the center. His light brown trousers and long sleeved shirt were tough and thick. However, they clung to his limbs well enough to display the curves of his strong body well. On the front and back of the sleeves and the sides of the legs, I could see the obvious seam and thick stitches. In fact, it also appeared that they had been repaired often, as if they were prone to tearing. A red tunic over those articles appeared to be of dense, durable material and seemed to hold heavy wear. It was textured but not roughly so. The trim was smooth and just a touch darker in color. Like his undergarments, the tunic was made in two halves - front and back - and sewn together with wide stitches and rope-like string. Cross shaped stitches began at his hips, to leave the skirt to be in two separate pieces for more movement, and ended just under his ribs. This allowed the tunic to be open under his arms to compensate for the great size of his chest and upper back. The cross stitches began on the short sleeves to close it up. Cross-shaped stitches also lined the outside of his sleeves and curved their course to the back of his neck. The neck itself was a V-neck and ended at the middle of his chest. A brown belt was secured around his trim waist where two pouchels and a sack were attached. This closed with a silver buckle in the front. Over his torso was a curious configuration of black belts. Two held onto his sides while one wrapped over the left shoulder. This held his sword's sheath, once he reattached that again. The belts connected themselves to a large, thick silver ring over his chest. He had interesting arm protection: thick black cloth bracers on his forearms with a brown plate of armor strapped to them, facing outside from his body. These plates were very scratched up and heavily marked from numerous battles. On the backs of his hands, a solid metal plate was strapped to his wrist and forefinger, leaving the palm of his hand and fingers bare. His brown knee-high boots were simple, as they were in two pieces around the shins and sewn together with noticeable stitches, yet they were still form-fitting to his thick legs. But those parts seemed to be coming apart from the foot, due to age and wear. The feet of the boots were also in lined to his feet, which led me to believe truthfully that they had wonderful shape.
     I was so amazed and awe-struck by this man's appearance and his deeds, I felt my face becoming hot. I placed my hand on my cheek while I continued to stare. I could only utter in breath to him, "Who are you?"
     The youthful man smiled softly upon me and knelt down in respect to me. I believe now it must have been because I was the Princess of Hyrule, but I wasn't thinking of that at the time. I merely watched him as I awaited his reply.
     "I am Ryukenden, Your Majesty," he said to me. "I am but a wandering swordsman. Those who know me call me the Rurouni of Fire. Friends call me Ryuken, or Ryo."
     "Master Ryukenden," I whispered my thoughts. "Rurouni of Fire...? I wonder why I have not heard of him...? He certainly has wondrous skills..."
     "Pardon, Your Grace?" he asked as he looked to me.
     "Oh, I am sorry. I was just thinking aloud. You may rise, good master," I said, not wanting to keep him waiting. "You surprise me greatly. I did not believe that someone could enter such a war-laden place alone."
     "Alone?" he asked me. "I am not alone."
     He reached into the larger pouchel and removed something from it. He whispered words of encouragement into his hands and let go of the item. The item was a purple fairy. He introduced to me, "Princess Zelda, this is Tael. He is my companion."
     "Hello, Your Highness," the fairy meekly nodded to bow. His voice was soft and cute, like a young boy.
     "Oh!" I smiled - something I did not think I'd be doing so soon. "Hello, there little one! My, this is certainly wonderful for Hyrule that you both are here. If you hadn't come... I am quite afraid of the alternative."
     "You need not fear now, Your Grace," Master Ryukenden smiled to me as he offered his hand to help me up. I gladly accepted. How unusually warm his hand was! But I was not in discomfort, though it would take me a while to get used to if I was to touch him again. And how large it was, too! I could no longer see my own hand as he held it. Even though he was smiling, there was something in his eyes that bothered me. He continued, "But I can't say all is well. The evil escaped and has vowed to return to us-" He was interrupted by his own grunt of discomfort. his eyes shut tight as he held his hand over his lower chest and occasionally moved his hand to his upper abdominal. That was what I had seen in his eyes; his internal pain. Even a well protected and muscled warrior like him couldn't blow off getting kicked so hard by another powerful and heavy man... especially repeatedly. Tael and I gasped and I stepped towards him though unsure of what I should do.
     "Master Ryukenden, you're hurt," I frowned with concern, but I knew I had stated the obvious. "You need to rest, now. I will get you to one of our finest guest rooms where you can relax. As you do, I will see if everyone is alright."
     "You do not have to trouble yourself with such things for me," he said with a calm smile. "I do not wish to be an added burden to what tragedies have already taken place."
     "To not give rest to my rescuer of these events would be far worse," I insisted. "Though I will not force anything upon you, please let me give you what comfort Hyrule can offer. I know it cannot fully repay my debt to you, but I beg that you would accept."
     He just stood there for a minute, as if not expecting me to say that to him. His ears lifted a little as a smile grew on his face, which I thought was cute. He nodded to me to say yes. He bowed again to me, then began walking to the wall where his sword was still sticking out. To assist him, I moved to retrieve his sheath for him. One thing I noticed about it was the many wraps around it. It was as if it was old, used in battle and needed constant repairs. He smiled further and said, "Thank you, Your Majesty. But you really-" I rose my hand to interrupt him. As rude as it may have been, I wished to hear no more protesting. I said to him, "I want to help you, Master Ryukenden." He listened to me, for he accepted his sheath and re-attached it to the belt on his back. He then replaced his shield and and slid his sword back into its place.
     "I shall lead you to your room, but then I must go an see what has been done. I will try my best to restore things to order and serve you," I told him.
     "Attend to what you need to, Your Majesty," he replied, still retaining his smile. "I can wait."
     "Ryo... please?" Tael pleaded, finally speaking. "I want to go to the room."
     He knew he didn't want to keep his little friend waiting. He told me he would like to go now if possible. I smiled again, a good feeling to have during this time of trial. Before we left the throne room, I took one last glace at Impa. I would get help for her, but she would understand that I needed to first help the one who prevented Hyrule's downfall. I will come back. I thought. Do not worry, Impa. We are not in danger anymore.