Chapter Text
Hyrule Town, 10 years before the Calamity strikes
Mikio, a proud Knight in the service of Hyrule. He is favored by the King and General's alike, he seems to be a flawless man, but he only seems like it. In fact, he is hated by his son, a no good teen named Mikill, an ugly name in his mind. Yet something in him kinda loved him, leading him to train him.
"Come on, boy! You can do much better!" Mikio said while blocking Mikill's wooden Sword, Mikill hated trainimg with his father because he always got hurt badly in the process, but a small part in him wanted to make him proud, wanted him to use his real name, not just "boy".
Mikill charged forward, trying to slide under the sidewards slash his father did, but he was hit against the throat in the process, making him cough up blood and drop his Sword in the process.
"Weak, how does his mother expect me to make a Knight out of him. His unconventional style will kill him, or lead to his death in the future." Mikio thought but he still crouched down to his son and wiped away the tears on his cheeks, it was a rare moment of affection.
"Mikill." He started, clearly disappointed, "These tactics will get you killed in a real fight. If you're fighting for real and do this, then you'll be beheaded."
"But father, Monsters don't fight normally, so why should I?" Mikill argued. Mikio thought of it as a good point but he was part of a conservative generation, that's why he has to reject.
"You shouldn't always think about Monsters, humans are the ones who are skilled enough to kill us." Mikio said.
"But father, most of our casulties are from Monsters." Mikill said. His argument was soon met with a slap, on his father was his usual angry face when Mikill was right. After countless traumas he had an extremely short temper and violent outbursts.
"What the fuck did I tell you about arguing?!" Mikio screamed angrily.
Mikill grunted in pain and dissatisfaction, "Fine, father." He said and left their yard for his room.
"Shit...I did it again." Mikio said and looked down at his hand, he was shocked about how violent he became after years of war and PTSD.
"If you do make it in life, Mikill. Then don't become like me." He thought and left for the Castle, he needed some time alone and wanted to just cool off.
After riding through the town he found his friend, a fellow Knight, training with his seven year old nephew too. His nephew's name was Link he faintly remembered. Link's father died a few months ago due to a Yiga sabotage.
"Ah, Mikio! It's good to see ya!"
"You too, I see you and Link are training." Mikio said.
"Yes, the kid got talent. He can already beat me in a longer fight."
"Then I won't disturb you too, I need to got to the Castle." Mikio said and left the two alone. They seemed like a much happier family than he had, he wished his family could be peaceful. Not a moody teen and a drinking wife.
"See you later then!" He said and resumed the fight with his nephew.
Arriving at the gate, he was let in by two strong Soldiers who opened the doors with their bare hands. Although it was meant to be pushable it was still quite heavy.
Entering the Castle was with every time a new experience. Outside there was the dirty and loud town, but inside there was this beautiful and quiet Castle. The only noises you could hear were horses, Soldiers and the occasional funtime at night, Nobles really loved to fuck.
"Sir Mikio, I brought you your orders." A Squire said and handed him a piece of papers with orders.
"Let's see, Hyrule Field later. Thank you." Mikio said and got off his horse, then giving the rein to the Squire. The Squire was a nice boy, about 11 years old. He wasn't a good fighter but he had his ways with horses noone else had, but this also made him an errand boy.
He walked up the stone path, past many Guards and Nobles, and then turned right into the training hall. But instead of training, the Soldiers were playing cards and drinking. But everyone stopped when Mikio walked in.
"Wanna join, sir?" Someone in the distance asked boldly, most likely an inexperienced recruit who didn't know that you shouldn't fuck with Mikio.
"You lazy pieces of shit!" Mikio screamed, making many drop their drinks or flinch, "I will have all your heads if you don't resume your fucking duties!"
"R-right away, sir." Many of them stuttered and resumed their training. Mikio knew that they'd start all over again with their lazy shenanigans but this was only really to maintain his intimidating image.
He walked up the stairs towards the council room, he liked being there, it was therapeutic room for him. He had the control in there, but he stopped when he saw the Princess hiding in a room, as a Shiekah-Hylian, he sensed her under the bed.
"Princess Zelda?" Mikio asked and crouched down. Zelda was a very smart little girl, about 8 years old. She and Mikill always got along when he had to take him with him to the Castle.
"Please don't tell them I'm here." Zelda pleaded with tears in her eyes, and right there Mikio understood what happened. The Queen died two years ago, she showed no sadness around this time. But with her father growing strict and verbally abusive, she often hid to just let everything out.
"Don't worry, I won't tell them. But you can't just stay here." Mikio said and helped her get out from under the bed.
"Thank you." Zelda said, she looked so adorable but her great life was only a facade. It was filled with rumours, expectations and pressure.
"Now come on, I'll bring you to your father." Mikio suggested. Completely ignoring his original plans, he knew it was cowardly to always retreat to his council room after lashing out on his family, but this was also to protect them. From himself.
"Okay." Zelda said and took his hand, rather due to her size his fingers.
After looking around for a bit, he found the King in his private study in the library. Knocking at the door and then entering, his gaze met the King's, then the King stood up to embrace Zelda.
"Forgive me, my daughter." The King said and after a while looked up at Mikio. "Thank you, Mikio. You may leave." King Rhoam thanked him.
This scene made Mikio something realize. If he opted to run away like Zelda, his family would never like him, but if he could accept what's wrong with him and apologize for it, he may get a second chance.
"I'll take my leave then, your majesties." Mikio said and left.
He remembered his duties but he wanted to get home first, try to reconcile with his family. He ran down dozens of stairs, rushed past the party in the training hall and then through the gate. But before he could return home, he found Link's uncle looking worried or mortified, rather both.
"What's wrong, man?" Mikio asked worried and stepped closer to the homestead.
"Link is gone! I only found this note and my Sword missing!" He said worried and frantically.
"Shit, did he write where he went to?" Mikio asked, thinking about the possiblities of Link's fate in his mind.
"Uh yeah, Hyrule Field. He wants to kill the Lynel there." He said and handed him the crudely written note, the ink was still somewhat wet. He couldn't be far away yet.
"Damn it, a Silver Lynel? He is as suicidal as his father was." Mikio cursed and got on Link's uncle's horse.
"What are you doing?" He asked.
"Saving your nephew's life, I'll be back soon." Mikio said and rode off in an hasty pace, aiming to get to Hyrule Field as fast as humanly possible. Link would surely die against the Lynel, he may be strong but even the strongest Knights can't compete with a Lynel, especially a silver one.
He rode through the town gate, past the large farmstead south of the eastern parts of Hyrule Town and then through a peasent village. Many of the villagers tried to sell something to the wealthy Knight, but he wasn't even wealthy. In fact he was in serious debt, some of the debtors came from not so legal sources, terrorist groups included. It was one of the many things he regretted, including his family.
Mikio had always been isolated, he never wanted to spent his life with anyone, but one one night stand later when he was 17, and he was a married father.
After a few minutes, his exhausted horse finally reached their destination. He found Link in the process of being killed by the Lynel's Bow.
"Hey! You piece of shit, come and get me!" Mikio screamed in an effort to gain the Lynel's attention.
Successfully at that he was, the Lynel shot at Mikio, barely hitting him and killing his horse instead of him. Mikio's first objective would be to save Link, this was much more difficult without a horse now.
"Boy, come here!" Mikio yelled, Link obliged and ran towards him, then hiding behind him in fear.
Link hid behind the horse's corpse while Mikio charged at the Lynel. It seemed like suicide, maybe it was, but it was their only chance that atleast one of them can survive.
"This damn idiot, because of him we'll die." Mikio thought when he rolled to the right side to dodge another barrage of arrows.
The Lynel galloped towards Mikio, with a slash he cut the Knight's Sword into two. Mikio knew at that moment that he won't come out of here alive. Using a small window to attack, he buried the remnants of his Sword in the Lynel's back.
The Lynel screamed in pain and fury. It noticed Mikio running towards Link's discarded Sword. It used the chance and shot three arrows into his armored back, greatly wounding him in the process.
"Argh! Fuck!" Mikio screamed and fell to his knees, he grabbed the Sword but he couldn't move.
He saw the Lynel quickly approach him, it's Sword ready to cut him down, he knew what will happen if he doesn't bury his conservatism. He used his sons idea and held the Sword's blade in his hand, ready to throw it.
When the Lynel's blade hit his chest, he felt an adrenaline rush together with the pain, and threw the Sword into the Lynel's head, killing it in the process. But also he was struck down, or will be atleast. All he knew was that he will die soon and with this fact came regret, tons of it.
Link peeked up from his hiding place, when he saw the apparently dead man, and ran away into the direction of Hyrule Town. "Well, atleast I did something good before I die. Maybe I'll get into heaven."
He looked down amd found himself covered in blood, the arrows were puncturing his back and the slash over his chest made a cut through his heart, he had maybe a few minutes before he'd die.
"Mikill, don't do the same failures I did. Don't get with the wrong people or do bad things because of my death...don't you ever join the Y...i...gaaaa..." He said before dying painfully.
Mikill was currently practicing with his Sword, he could hear the faint chatter of his mother inside, the empty bottles from inside being thrown out of the window. But he was pulled out of his training by his trainer from Hyrule Castle, a young man with the name Zitus, he had a sorrowed look on his face.
"Sir Zitus, how can I help?" Mikill asked the 22 year old man.
"Mikill, I'm sorry to inform you...but, your father died." Zitus said, looking at the ground.
"He...what?" Mikill asked shocked and dropped his Sword. But he didn't wait for the answer, he ran towards the church of Hyrule town. The church was an orphanage and Mikill's best friend lived there, a older guy called Alak. Alak was always a mysterious boy but he always had whatever Mikill wanted and seemed to know many things about everyone.
He found Alak in his usual alley, it was in the rundowm, poverty struck parts of Hyrule Town. He talked with someone but when this someone saw Mikill he quickly ran away.
"Mikill, what's up?" Alak asked.
"Can we talk?" Mikill asked and sat next to him on a higher ledge overlooking the dirty alley.
"I already heard from my friends in the military. I'm sorry about your father." Alak said and put his hand on Mikill's shoulder. It startled him a bit that Alak already knew but he was used to that already.
"Thanks, I don't know what to do now. It feels like-"
"It feels like the paradise of Hyrule failed you and you want to get revenge against the thing that killed him." Alak finished his sentence. At this moment Mikill really noticed Alak's stance towards Hyrule, he was a revolutionary.
"Yeah, kinda." Mikill agreed.
"Can I tell you something, something that'll blow your mind?" Alak asked.
"Yeah, go on." Mikill agreed.
"It wasn't only a Monster responsible for your father's death, it's the boy sainted as the future hero of Hyrule. Link." Alak said.
"What? The Hero of Hyrule, this seven year old bastard, he is responsible for my father's death?" Mikill asked outraged and grabbed his knife.
"Wait, don't do something erratic!" Alak stopped him and took his knife out of his hands.
"You know me, I can't just live like that. Knowing my neighbor is responsible for my father's death because he wanted to play hero." Mikill yelled. Alak knew that he was right, Mikill was a total hothead, but this can finally bring him towards Alak's goal.
"I know, say. Do you know about the Yiga?"