"You know being a hard-ass isn't going to help you lot with the rest of the cops right?"
The teenager, who had been silent, looked up to the source of the voice. A tall, strapping middle aged man had walked through the door. African American. He recognized him immediately.
"Uncle James," he said sarcastically. "And what do I owe this pleasant surprise?"
"The fact that your mama's are going crazy worrying about you, and I'm trying to keep you from going to jail," James deadpanned.
He sat down in front of his nephew, and looked at him intensely. His face full of cuts and bruises, and his favorite red hoodie that he had since his first year of high school ripped to shreds; just barely held together by its seams. The only thing that didn't seem to be hurt was his head, covered by a crop of chin-length dreadlocks.
They were sitting inside an interrogation room at the local police station. The table the two were seated at was placed next to a one-way window, where both men knew the police were recording their conversation.
"Now, you know I'm not going to be taking any B.S. from you right now," He spoke in a low voice. "I might be a detective on this force, but you and I both know that most of these white boys here don't give two shits about us colored folk."
The teenager nodded.
"So you should already know exactly how lucky you are those cops didn't execute you right on the spot when they saw what you were doing."
"You mean saving their ungrateful asses from a ten-foot creature that looked like it came from the seventh circle of hell?" The teenager countered.
The older man let out a deep groan and rubbed his temples. He had expected his nephew to be abrasive, but he needed answers from him.
"Lee," James said sternly, deliberately lowering his voice. "I'm trying to help you out here. People are freaked out by what's going on with all these... creatures suddenly popping up, and the next thing I know, you and your friends are jumping into the line of fire attacking these things! What the hell is wrong with you kids?! What were you thinking?"
The teenager, now identified as Lee, simply huffed and turned his head away, folding his arms as he did. "I doubt you'd believe it if it came out of my mouth," he replied. "You'd have me sent to the psych ward."
"We've had all these fucked up looking things popping out of the woodwork for the past few months now," James countered. "And there's been legitimate reports of people seeing fairies, giant killer spiders with skulls for backs, and et cetera, et cetera. Whatever you got to say can't possibly raise the bar of weirdness I've seen."
Lee shrugged. he began to twist one of his dark red dreadlocks. "Maybe. Who knows? But I can't say anything right now." He leaned back on his chair.
James suppressed a scowl. "And why not?" He questioned.
"Cause my friends aren't here," Lee stated matter-of-factually. "It's one thing to get my perspective, but you're not getting the whole package. We've all been doing this together, so they need to be here if you want to get a cohesive story."
James gave his nephew a look that clearly said "I'm getting too old for this shit." resignedly, he turned towards the door. "Blair!" he hollered. "Let them other two kids in here."
A few moments later, the door opened, and two more teenagers, male and female, were led into the interrogation room by an officer. The boy looked to be about Lee's age, though he was a full head taller than him. The bangs of his unruly dirty blonde hair covered part of his face. Like Lee, he was also extremely bruised up, and his clothes tattered; though the green beanie that rested on his head somehow remained inexplicably unharmed. James could feel an aura of confidence and courage coming from him.
The girl, on the other hand, appeared much less worse off than the boys did. Her long strawberry blonde hair looked like it had been caught inside a tornado, and her pink windbreaker was essentially destroyed, but she showed no other visible signs of being hurt. Her face showed a sage-like demeanor, as if she had the wisdom of someone twice her age.
"Now since we're all here," Lee said as the others sat down. "We can give you the full story."
"Splendid," James said sarcastically. "Now, would you mind telling me how you guys started getting involved in all this supernatural shit that's been happening?"
Lee shrugged again. "To be perfectly honest with you, it seemed like this weird stuff was attracted to us. We didn't know what to really make of it at first, and to be honest, we're still not really sure. But if I had to give you a date for when it all happened, I'd say it started roughly five months ago..."
The legend of Princess Zelda and the Hero, Link. A story that is often said to have been passed down since the dawn of early record keeping.
Throughout it's retelling in history, the main basics of the story has always remained the same: Link, the Hero chosen by the three Goddesses, set out on a quest to collect the three pieces of the triforce, and rescue Princess Zelda and the land of Hyrule from the clutches of the evil sorcerer Gannondorf.
But, as time marched on, and peices the original story were lost to time, others began to put their own twist on the legend. One such story had Link as the "Hero of Time", who as his title implied, traveled through the currents of time to stop Gannondorf's scheme to take over Hyrule. This retelling became controversial for it's ending, where Link's fate was not properly addressed. Instead, it led to multiple endings: One where the Hero restored the land and married the princess, another where Gannondorf succeeded in killing him, forcing the Goddesses to flood the world to stop him, and yet another, where he was sent back in time to properly live out his childhood after defeating the future king Gannondorf.
The retelling, while universally rejected by future historians for it's seemingly implausible nature, led to others expanding on the endings, creating their own Links and Zeldas in the process. The "Hero of Winds", the "Hero of the Essences of Time and Nature", the aptly titled "Hero of Legend", and "Sky Child" are but a small handful of the various Links featured in these tales.
In this current age, the stories are largely regarded by historians as myth; folk stories to tell little children. The majority of the world's population, however, know them best for being adapted into a hit series of video games made by Nintendo. Little do they know that they're in for a rude awakening.
The great evil king is slowly making his way back after laying dormant for millennia, and the world will see first hand the power of Gannondorf. But the Goddess did not forget about their people, and they reincarnated their chosen Hero and Princess once again to defeat Gannondorf once again. But in a time where most of the Hyrulean races have either amalgamated entirely with the Human race or gone extinct entirely,and the powers of both the Goddesses and Gannondorf are considered legend, at best, the new Hero is going to be in for one hell of a ride.
And so begins the Urban Legend...
Five months earlier...
"BOOMSHAKALAKA!"
The sound of a glass-shattering explosion blared from the surround sound speakers, immediately followed by the sound of a wildly cheering arena crowd. Onscreen, an NBA player with an exaggeratedly oversized head had just finished a gravity defying dunk on the opposing team. This, in turn, was followed by something best described as a cross of angry shouting and pitiful whining.
"GOD DAMN THIS PEICE OF CRAP GAME!" the blonde boy shouted, throwing down his controller, only for Lee to catch it just before it made contact with the floor. "WHY DOES THE COMPUTER HAVE TO BE SUCH A MOTHERFUCKING CHEATING BASTARD?!"
"Okay, first off, this is the last time I ever play 'NBA Jam' with you," Lee said. "And second, you're overreacting way too much. It's not a life and death thing, man. You simply just suck at the game."
the blonde cast a glare at Lee, but he was unfazed. "No, seriously. It's not an insult, some people just can't play some games. But I've never seen anyone rage so hard as you have, Link. You seriously need to cool down."
"But the A.I. is so infuriating..." Link groaned, slumping into his spot on the couch.
Lee couldn't help but laugh at his friend. He knew Link could get super competitive at times, but this was the first time he saw him truly get angry over a game.
"Sometimes it can be," Lee admitted. "But the more you play the more you'll be able to figure out how to use the computer's tricks against itself."
"Whatever..." Link muttered sourly. Lee just shook his head as he got up off the couch, and began walking to the staircase.
"Anyway, I'mma head upstairs and get us some food," Lee said. "If you're still going to be sour about 'Jam', then you can boot up 'Smash Brothers' if ya want."
At this, Link's expression brightened, and he got up from his seat to switch out the games. Lee just shook his head and smiled as he went upstairs. He and Link had spent most of the day inside his house mostly playing games. It was early February, and Old Man Winter was getting his final blows of the season in before Spring rolled in. As Lee entered his main hallway and into the kitchen, he looked through the living room window and saw the storm outside had gotten worse since they went inside. At least two feet of snow covered the ground outside, covering everything within sight. Lee prayed silently that his mother got home safe in the weather.
After washing his hands in the kitchen sink, he went into the cupboards and pulled out two bowls and two bags of chips. Putting them down on the counter, he went over to the fridge, and pulled out a box of pizza from its freezer compartment.
"'Delissio Pizza'", he read the label aloud. "'Canadian Meat Lovers'. Perfect." He set the box on top of the counter and began adjusting the settings of his oven. Just as he finished selecting his desired temperature, He heard a loud banging sound coming from the front door, causing him to flinch slightly.
Who in their right mind would be here during this storm? Lee thought. he walked over to the door and looked into the peephole to see who it was. He couldn't make out the person's face, but he could tell the person was female, and she was wearing a large black puffy jacket with a bag slung around her shoulder. She also wore a green skirt with black and green tights. The colors immediately tipped him off to who it was.
"Saria!" he exclaimed, pulling the door open for the freezing girl. "Get in here, girl! You're gonna die of hypothermia walking around in this storm!"
Saria quickly entered the house, and Lee forced the door shut. Her clothes were covered in snow from head to toe and she was shivering.
"What the hell were you doing outside in this storm?" Lee asked as he locked the door. Despite his choice of words, his tone was a mixture of comfort and worry. "You should've known how dangerous it is out there."
"I-i-it w-wasn't as bad w-when I first st-started walking he-here," Saria stammered, still shaking from the cold. she dropped her bag, and began to take off her jacket, but Lee stopped her.
"Not yet," he gestured to the kitchen. " We gotta get you warm. I'll help you out of your stuff off, just go sit down."
Saria nodded, and quickly made her way down the hall. Lee groaned inwardly, wondering how he was going to explain this to Link. He picked up Saria's bag and walked back to the kitchen. As soon as he entered, he sat her bag down, and opened up the oven door to let the heat get to the freezing girl. He then walked over to her and started taking her boots off.
"Be honest, Saria," Lee said as he began loosening the knots of one of the boots' laces. "Did you travel over here just to see me, or is there something else going on that made you decide to foolishly brave that storm? You've got more than your fair share of common sense to know not to be walking out there."
Saria frowned at his statement, but did not give an answer, continuing to shiver. Lee let out a resentful sigh as he pulled the boot off her feet. He knew that frown well.
"It's got something to do with Mido." It wasn't a question. Lee knew Saria to be a bubbly, positive person in any situation. If she was frowning at you, something was upsetting her, or, very rarely, she was pissed off. And Mido, her step-brother, was one of the very few people who could do that to her.
Saria stayed silent. Lee finished removing both of her boots and started to unbutton her jacket.
Alright, Lee thought. The pent up fustration should be coming out in three... Two... One... Zero.
"THAT JERK!" she shouted. "Why does he think he can push me around all the time? He's such a spoiled brat!"
"What did he do this time?" Lee asked.
Saria pouted. "He thinks because we live in his parents house and they let him do what he pleases, he can treat me like crap!" She paused, starting to sob. "He had the bright idea to have a party at the house tonight since our parents are away on business. I'm trying to ignore all the mess going on, and get my studying done in my room. "Then all of a sudden, he barges in and tells me to get out because two of his friends want to 'use' it. I told him no, and then he started yelling at me, saying how I'm always a pain in the ass to him because I always ruin whatever he has planned. So I told him if he wasn't such a giant prick to me and and everyone else around him, Ilia wouldn't have left him for someone else. After I said that, he got angry, and then he... He..."
Saria broke down into tears, unable to finish her sentence. Instinctively, Lee hugged her tightly. Saria continued to cry, burying her face into his shoulder. Lee rubbed up and down her back with his right hand.
"Shh, it's okay," Lee whispered into her ear. "You're with me now. You're safe here. And don't worry about Mido. He already knows what happens if he does anything to harm you. I got your back."
Saria didn't say anything. Instead, she hugged him tighter, and continued to cry.
"Yo, Lee!" Link shouted from downstairs. "I got Smash Brothers ready. What's keeping you?"
"I'll be down in a minute!" Lee shouted back. He turned back to Saria. "Come on. we got heaters and blankets downstairs you can warm up in."
Lee finished taking off Saria's jacket, and picked her up bridal style. As he did, Lee looked at her face. He didn't notice it when he was taking her clothes off, but now that he had a good look, he saw that there was a large black mark underneath her left eye. Saria noticed him staring at it and turned her head away, ashamed.
"That fucker..." Lee growled. "He's some lucky I can't get to him right now."
Lee made his way down to his den, Saria in tow. Downstairs, Link was spread out on the couch, waiting for the food. When he heard footsteps coming down the stairs, he sat back up, ready to eat, only to see Lee carrying Saria in his arms. Immediately, Link jumped out of his seat, and went to check on her.
"Is she okay?" Link asked worriedly.
"Yeah, considering," Lee confirmed. "She and Mido went at it again, and he gave her a black eye."
"What!" the blonde exclaimed angrily. "Where is he?!"
"According to Saria, holding a party at his house. She walked down here by herself, and she's frozen to the bone. Get me a blanket."
Link nodded, and went into the den bedroom. Lee sat Saria down on the couch, and began to cuddle her.
"Feeling warmer yet?" he asked.
"I'm starting to, thanks." she said. "But I think I know something that would make me warmer..." A sly grin crossed her face.
Lee flashed a smirk of his own. He knew where she was going with this. "Ya don't say?" he started to lean in closer. "Well, what exactly did you have in mind?"
Saria caressed Lee's left cheek with her hand, still grinning. She pulled him in closer, and closed her eyes, anticipating the kiss. But before their lips could connect, a blanket was tossed over them, effectively ruining the moment.
"And that's enough hanky panky from you two!" Link said teasingly.
"Link!" Saria whined as she pulled the blanket off her and Lee. "Why do you always do that to us?"
"Cause it's funny," he replied, picking up a Wii U controller and sitting down on the other end of the couch.
"Whatever," Lee said, getting up from the couch. "Listen, I'm gonna go back up and get some of that food ready. You two be good down here, okay?"
"Yes, ma'am," Link snarked, causing Saria to laugh. Lee merely rolled his eyes and walked back up the stairs.
"You know," Saria said after she finished laughing. "I wouldn't have came here if I had of known you were here, Link."
The blonde waved his hand. "Don't worry about it. Mido's a throbbing prick to everyone all the time, and he wonders why the only ones who respect him are the ones who just hang with him cause he got money. You gotta deal with that everyday from dawn till dusk, so I can't blame you if you wanted to get away from him."
Saria shook her head. "I dunno what I can do at this point. If I could, I'd move out on my own."
"Then why don't you just stay with Lee? you two are practically a married couple."
Saria shook her head again. "You know his mom would kick him out before she'd let that happen."
"That is true," Link admitted. "I forgot how old school she is when it comes to that type of stuff. But since Mido hit you, I wouldn't be too off the mark to assume you won't be going home for a few days, would I?"
Saria felt her cheeks beginning to blush. It was clear he already knew the answer, but she decided to answer anyway.
"I really just don't want to be there right now," she admitted. "He acts like a tyrant because he's our parent's favourite and they let him have anything he asks for. Now he's starting to hit me..." Saria began to cry again.
"Forget about him," Link said. "He knows the first two people you would tell are us. He'll try to stay away from us, but he knows once we get to him, it's game over. Mido is the type of guy who likes to talk big, but becomes a coward if he has to man up and face the music. Me and you, we practically grew up together as brother and sister, and Lee genuinely loves you. If that jerk ever does something like that to you again, he'll answer to us personally."
Saria took in Link's words, and stopped crying. She really didn't want them to get in trouble for fighting Mido, but it showed her just how much the boys really cared for her.
"Thank you, Link," she said, smiling weakly.
"Any time, Saria. Now, you up for some 'Smash Brothers'?"
"Definitely!" she said.
Link tossed her an extra controller. "Well, get ready, cause I ain't going easy on you!"
Saria caught it, and turned it on. "I wouldn't dream of it!"
Just then, Lee reappeared from the stairwell carrying several bowls full of potato chips, and a bottle of cola. "How about a pre-game snack before you destrory each other, eh?" he quipped.
Saria took a bowl of chips from Lee. "Thanks, hun," she said.
Lee passed the other bowl to Link, and then snuggled up next to Saria. "Who're you gonna pick?" he asked her.
"She's gonna pick me, of course," Link interjected, which caused them all to laugh. Ever since he was a child, Link was always noted for his resemblance to the titular Hero from the "Legend of Zelda" games. Because of that, everyone simply called him "Link" instead of his real name; which he was grateful for, as he hated his real name.
"Not this time," Saria replied. "I'm going to use my Mii. I guess you won't have to, because yours was already built in."
"Hardy har har," Link snarked back. "You still aren't beating me, regardless who you pick."
"We'll see about that, Hero." With that, Saria confirmed her selection, and the match was underway.