Chikara no Yume
Chapter One

It was a frigid night, just like all the ones before, perhaps a little warmer than usual. The moon has just reached its peak, and the guards who weren't on duty had crowded around a small hut, trying to see inside. Seiya did not care about them right now. She was busy tending to her newborn child.

"Seiya, is this child...?"

"...He is a male," Seiya replied, wrapping the child in a blanket, "Our Goddess has not forsaken us. She has given us a King to lead us through this time of war..."

The guards whispered amongst themselves, several trying to get a good look at the sleeping child. Seiya looked up at them, her cool amber stare silencing them.

She looked down at her child again, taking his small hand in hers. He was unexpectedly quiet, and he had fallen asleep within thirty minutes of his birth. She was surprised by these actions, but was actually too tired to really care. He was born, and he had been born a male. This was enough for her.

"Seiya?"

"What?" Seiya asked rather shortly. She was tired, and she was silently wishing they would go away.

"...I was trying to ask what his name is..." the guard said softly, cringing slightly as Seiya turned her head slightly to look at her.

"...Garen."

'

Garen looked out over the Gerudo fortress in silence, watching as the guards patrolled fortress. It was the same every day, watching the guards as they made their rounds. His mother, Seiya, stood beside him, keeping a sharp lookout for any slackers. Being the tribe leader, she had to look out for them, especially during times of war. It was stressful, but they somehow managed to keep invaders out, and things were relatively peaceful.

That was one thing he never understood. Why would anybody try to invade them? The desert was barely habitable, and the Gerudo had enough problems trying to survive through the scorching heat by day and the frigid gales by night. Why would anybody try to take it from them? It just didn't make sense.

Then again, almost none of this made sense to a five-year-old.

He looked up at Seiya, who smiled at him, placing her hand on his head. "Go inside," she said kindly, running her fingers through his hair, "I'll join you in a little while." Garen nodded and went inside the house, sitting down in a nearby chair. He would be there a while. Because she was the tribe leader, she had to keep a watchful eye over everything. Because her eyes were the sharpest, she could see over a greater distance, and so she could keep watch from atop the hill. Therefore, the phrase 'in a little while' could very well mean 'in a few hours'.

He let his mind wander, having nothing better to do until Seiya came. He found himself thinking about why he was the only boy, while everyone else in the fortress was a woman. Seiya never told him much, if anything, about why. She always mentioned the goddess, and that he was destined to be a great leader when he grew up. She never went into detail, so he always assumed that she meant he would take her place when he was an adult.

But that didn't explain why the other guards kept looking at him funny... or why they treated him with greater respect than the other children his age...

There was a sudden uproar outside, and he was jolted back to reality. He leapt out of his chair and ran to the window. He could see many guards running by, heading straight for the entrance to the fortress. Once they had passed by, he ran outside to get a better view of what was happening.

The guards were obviously trying to capture some intruder that had gotten across the bridge. He had managed to make if halfway up the hill, sword drawn, and his clothes a deep red color. He evaded the guards, starting up the hill. It was then that Garen noticed that the intruder was going after Seiya, who stood on the level below him. Seiya casually drew her sword, blocking the intruder's barrage of attacks. She finally parried with an attack of her own. The intruder staggered backwards, and his gaze locked with Garen's.

That moment seemed to last an eternity. Garen watched, feeling a sense of dread wash over him as the intruder's eyes widened and his lip curled into a sadistic grin. Suddenly, the intruder dashed past Seiya, pushing her out of the way. Before Garen could realize what was going on, the intruder grabbed him by the throat and held him several feet above the ground.

"And so I shall slay the Gerudo King while he is still weak..."

Garen's eyes widened as the intruder's sword was held to his throat. The intruder's grin widened, but it soon vanished, his face contorting into a grimace of pain. It was then that Garen noticed a spear through the intruder's chest. The intruder stumbled, falling forward, dropping Garen. Garen landed hard on his back, and the air was forced from his lungs. He was pretty sure he'd hit his head too, because everything was mingled with splotches of red. He felt lightheaded, and he could barely hear. He felt somebody's arms around him, holding him tightly. It took him a moment to realize who it was, but he figured it out by the person's scent.

"Momma..."

"Hush..." he heard Seiya say soothingly, pulling him into her lap as she held him tight in his arms, "You're safe now..." Garen's vision managed to clear as he saw several guards standing around him. Three managed to lift the body and carry it away to dispose of it, while four remained at Seiya's side. One, Garen noticed, was covered in the same red stuff that the intruder had been covered with. She looked relatively pale, her hands shaking slightly as she clutched her spear tightly. That, too, was covered in the red stuff.

"...What happened...?"

"...Kaya saved you," Seiya said, stroking his hair gently, "...She saved your life..." Her words were lost, as his hearing seemed to fade again. He closed his eyes, feeling as though his head was made of stone. He felt extremely weak. He fell asleep in her arms, although he hardly realized that he was tired.

He awoke some time later, still in his mother's arms, but they were inside the house now. She was sitting in a chair, holding him in her lap, her arms wrapped around him. He was wrapped tightly in a blanket, so tightly that he could barely move.

"...What happened...?" he asked softly.

"You passed out," Seiya said, "That's not surprising... you were almost killed... and that bump you took on the head didn't help much either."

"...How come he went after me?" Garen asked, shivering slightly. Seiya did not reply immediately.

"...Because you are destined to be the king of the Gerudo," she said, "You are the one who will lead us out of this hardship. You will be our savior."

"... 'Savior'?"

"Someone of great importance," Seiya said, stroking his hair, "Someone who will protect our tribe... help provide us with what we need to survive..."

Garen looked up at her in silence. She had a glazed look in her eyes, as though there was something she could see that he couldn't. He managed to pull his arm free, and he reached up, touching her cheek gently. She looked down at him in silence. She smiled, and kissed his forehead gently.

"Well, we'll see what happens," she said, "For now, you should rest. It's been a hard day..."

Garen frowned, but didn't want to argue. He was extremely tired. He closed his eyes, resting his head on his mother's shoulder. For a brief moment, memories of earlier events flashed through his mind. They were gone in an instant, and he soon fell asleep.

'

Disclaimer: I don't own Zelda, or its characters. I'm not saying it again.

Author's Memo: I've been working on this for a while now. I came up with it shortly after beating The Wind Waker. However, it's taken a while to write, obviously, as I lacked the proper ideas. Oh well. I hope you enjoy it!