Author's note: I've gained more confidence and the layout I'm going to give the story is coming together in my head a lot nicer than before. Since I am using all of the documented journal and diary entries as a timeline, I decided I wanted to skip over a few and get to when the characters are a bit older, as it's a bit easier and probably more exciting for people who enjoy Zelda fanfiction ;)

Hyrule Castle, Lockup.

It had been several days since the Queen's untimely passing, and with the Yiga clan being the prime suspect, the Royal Guard was in need of more men.

Today, it was Link's turn.
Link was no longer the young boy who wore green garments and funny hats. He now walked with purpose, and hardly ever spoke. On his chest he wore the dark blue garb of a knight in training, with thin, white armor decorating his shoulders, elbows, knees, and the ankles of his boots. On his back, a soldier's broadsword was sheathed, accompanied by a wooden shield that was painted blue.

Link followed his commander, Hable, through the soldier's training grounds, towards the lockup, where his chance to become a Royal Guard was waiting.
"The Hylian shield has been in the Royal Family for generations." Hable explained. "We don't know who the last person to wield it was, but legend says it was he who wielded the Blade of Evil's Bane."
Link nodded as they reached the doorway to the lockup, where Hable took a key ring off of his belt and unlocked the door, proceeding inside the prison.

As soon as they entered, an uproar arose from the prison's occupants- Monsters. Link thought. There were so many- Bokoblins, Lizalfos, some Moblins, even an Ice Wizzrobe sat solemnly in his cell, holding his legs to his chest in sorrow.

"Whoever the hero was, he left the shield behind to be used by his next heir!" Hable raised his voice so Link could hear him over the chaotic yelling erupting from the cells around them, "We decided to lock it away, and protect it with a test!"

Link raised his arms in a questioning manner.

"Process of elimination, Link!" Hable still had to yell over the uproar. "We figured only the heir of the legendary hero would be able to pass the test and claim the shield-"
Hable was suddenly cut off as a small rock flew through the air and hit him in the head. "Hey!" he shouted. "Who did that!?"

The whole lockup erupted into manic laughter as a lone Bokoblin began jumping up and down in triumph, clearly happy with the chaos he had caused.
"Damn stupid Bokoblins..." he muttered, removing a spear from his back and approaching the cell with the spear raised.
Upon seeing this, the Bokoblin yelped and backed up against the wall in panic as Hable thrust the spear through the bars of the cell, threatening the creature.

"You think that's funny, huh?" Hable taunted. "Is it still funny now?"
The surrounding prisoners went into panicked shouting, reaching through the bars at Hable, seemingly begging him to leave their friend alone.
Hable looked around at the prisoners yelling, before turning back to the Boko he currently had at spearpoint.
"Looks like I might have to make an example out of you." Hable prepared to thrust the spear into the monster's chest, when-

"Hable!" a voice rang out from behind him, and the entire room fell silent. Hable turned around to see Link standing there, frowning at him. He gestured at the end of the hallway; their destination, until Hable had been distracted.

Hable groaned, and withdrew the spear from the bars and placed it on his back again. He squinted at the Bokoblin, and made the 'I've got my eye on you' motion at the creature, before turning and leading the way down the end hallway of the lockup, with Link following behind.

"The test for the shield is to fight our most dangerous prisoner. I don't even remember how we got him in here, it seems impossible." Hable stopped at a iron bar doorway, that led to a room shrouded in darkness. "In all the time we've kept him here, nobody has been able to beat him, so the shield remains hidden. Not even I know where it is."

Link sighed, and unsheathed his sword and shield. "Does he have a name?" Link asked.

"Sort of." Hable answered. "We obviously don't know his real name- hell, I'm not entirely sure that his species has that kind of thing." Hable unlocked and opened the door, then turned to link. "But the boys have given him a nickname."
"Which is?" Link asked.
Hable gulped. "Barry." he answered.

Link nodded.

Hable gestured for Link to enter the room. "good luck." he said, and when Link entered, locked the door behind him.

Link ventured into the darkness, the light of the door fading behind him. Gripping his sword and shield tightly in his hands, he stayed on guard as he blindly wandered the room. Suddenly, he started to hear a low, humming sound. Link frowned, and looked at his feet. The floor was vibrating. Link slowly approached the source of the noise, before realizing what it was-

Something was snoring.
Something very, very big.

Suddenly, the light of a torch illuminated a wall next to him. He turned quickly to the torch, raising his sword, before relaxing. It's just a torch, Link. he thought to himself. Don't panic over a torch.
Then he realized that he couldn't hear the noise anymore. The floor had stopped vibrating. Whatever it was that was in the room with him, it had ceased snoring. Link felt strange- a chill went down his spine, as if he was being watched.

Slowly, Link turned around to see an enormous, glowing yellow eye staring at him. Link readied himself, stepping away as other torches all around the room began to light, illuminating the area around them. The eye began to move, rapidly escalating in height as the giant creature stood up to it's full height, before the room was fully illuminated, revealing what it was;

"Hinox." Link said to himself.

The enormous, cyclopean beast let out a deafening roar, before looking down at the intruder that had entered his cell, growling and licking his lips.
Link stood steadfast, dodging out of the way as the beast brought its fists down upon the ground where Link had been standing, impacting the stone floor with a ground-shaking thump. Link ducked underneath the beast's arms, and brought his sword down on the Hinox's foot.

The Hinox growled in pain, and Link grinned, before seeing the beast's foot coming towards him. "Nonono-" Link was cut off as the foot made impact with his chest, sending him flying across the room and into the wall. Groaning, he struggled to his feet, and grabbed for his sword, but it wasn't there. He looked up, and realized it had been left impaled in the Hinox's foot.

The foot that was about to step on him.

Link rolled out of the way as the Hinox stomped the ground, and ducked between the thing's legs, still carrying his shield. The beast grunted in confusion, turning around to see where his prey had gone, only to see Link already halfway across the room. Link grasped his shield in his hand, before swinging his arm, flinging the shield through the air and hitting the Hinox square in the eye.

The Hinox let out another pained growl as he lost his footing and fell to the ground, landing on his rear. Link charged towards the fallen beast, retrieving the sword from its foot, before leaping onto its chest, where he began to continuously strike it, dealing cut after cut onto the Hinox's chest, until suddenly-

the sword shattered.

What? Link thought in confusion. How-

His thoughts were interrupted as a giant fist hit him straight in the chest, knocking the wind out of him and sending him flying across the room- yet again- and into a wall. Link coughed as he struggled to his feet, trying to regain his senses.

The Hinox stood back up, staring at Link angrily. Looking down, it plucked a weapon from the necklace around its neck- a halberd, by the looks of it- and charged Link, thrusting the weapon forward, stabbing him straight in the Abdomen. Link howled in pain, before looking up at the Hinox, and realizing something-

The necklace. Link thought, The weapons on the necklace.

Using all his might, Link removed the halberd, screaming in pain as blood poured from the open wound. Holding it in his hands, he thrust it into the Hinox's knee, Causing it to groan in pain and kneel down. Using this opening, Link climbed the arm of the beast, onto it's back, and pulling the necklace around to face him, and one weapon jumped out to him instantly- a Great Thunderblade, glowing golden with electricity. Taking the blade, he swung it towards the shoulder of the beast, stabbing it with the blade.

The Hinox's entire body convulsed in pain as it was shocked by the electricity. As it flailed its fists about, it hit Link, sending him flying through the air, colliding with the ground, and falling into unconsciousness.

Link suddenly came to, yelling. The light hands of a nurse were placed on his shoulder. "Sir, please calm down." she said. "You're still injured."
Link shook his head in confusion. "Wh...what happened?"
"Well, unfortunately, you didn't kill him." the familiar voice of his commander came from the other side of the bed, and Link turned to look at him. "Sorry, Link. No hero's shield for you."

Link hung his head. "I'm sorry, sir...I'll start training to try again as soon as I am well again."
"That won't be necessary." Hable said. "Barry may still be alive, but you sure gave him hell, and you lived." Hable clapped slowly. "Color me impressed. Not a lot of people have been able to do that."

"But..." Link started. "I failed to kill him!"
"So what?" Hable said. "You're not the legendary hero. Who cares? You're alive. And those who live still win in the long run."
"What do you mean?" Link cocked his head in confusion.
"It means, you're now a Knight of the Royal Family."