Alright, seeing as this story has a few interesting elements to it I guess I should warn you about the more… Troublesome ones:
This will be a self-insert fic
This will involve a few rather rule-screwing effects (At least one)
This is my first attempt at fan fiction
I don't know how the beta system works
If you have a problem giving a story with these things in it a chance then you will likely want to leave now but for the rest of you…
Hopefully you will enjoy this crossover. (Please excuse the lengthy world building at the start)
Start
Human beings have come up with countless forms and creators for all of existence. In their thousands of years of sentience they have theorized beginnings such as God, the Big Bang, and human belief. Yet even today we struggle to understand how some of the things we can see clearly actually work, let alone intangibles like time or planes of existence.
Suppose however that in one such plane of existence that several of these answers had been worked out. That while an unknown power predating even the gods created a number of 'Core' worlds much like our own, the rest had been shaped from the collective subconscious of the humans living within these original worlds.
Such a complex, and in this case unstable, multiverse would require an uplifted group of beings to act as a sort of maintenance crew. A maintenance crew who's upper members would call upon and recruit the countless races and forces of their own plane to 'trim the necrotic branches of creation' as the need came for them to do so. This group would come to call themselves the Aldarcal in honor of their forgotten forbearers.
Within one of the many watch stations of this order, a single humanoid watched over the countless alternate timelines and worlds that were growing, dying, and being born constantly. The eight foot tall male found himself tapping his fingers as boredom began to overcome his discipline.
"Why is it that nothing interesting happens when it's my turn for watch duty?" He grumbled to himself while giving a cursory glance over his charge.
"Most likely it's because you're not hot enough for it" a cloaked shape answered as it entered the room, a cup of black coffee in one hand. "After all Signman, you're really tall, blue, as hairy as a caveman, and as muscular as a gorilla." He continued as he moved next to the blue giant. "You have to admit that you aren't exactly the textbook definition of a hero."
"What about the tusks?" Signman chuckled as he accepted his coffee.
"Well with all the vampire fetishists out there I can't really call you out on any special teeth you have." The stranger found himself a seat on the desk Signman had been sitting at. "On the other hand you also simply aren't cool or interesting enough to bring trouble to yourself. " He turned his concealed gaze onto the giant. "Not that any sane man would really want that anyway considering all the crap that an adventure puts you through."
"Awwww. Does little Mr. Shade have a problem with all the excitement your oh, so perfect blond-haired and blue-eyed self finds Oh, so easily." Signman retorted. "I mean really, having to have epic fights and go to exotic locations clearly must suck so much."
"Don't forget about the fact that most of the more famous fights ended with me dying and that those exotic locations also have even more people to make fun of you for your quirks." ,Shade nearly sighed, "As if I needed any more of that crap to deal with."
"Damn Gary Stu."
"Damn Chewbacca expy."
"You inhuman manwh-Wait! What was that?" Signman turned to point as something on the observation screen caught his interest.
"Hmmm." Shade lifted himself off the desk to look at what had attracted the attention of his companion.
On the screen was an image of a section of the multiverse's vast network of timelines and universes. However, most images of this type don't contain a white marble that had somehow split off from one timeline and begun speeding off to another. Even if they did, they certainly wouldn't have this kind of 'marble' in the image.
"Please tell me that isn't what I think it is."
"If I'm reading the distortions of reality around that thing properly then it unfortunately is what you think." Signman managed to get out as his fingers flashed across his keyboard.
"Fuck. Let the Court know what's going on Signman. I'm going after that thing." 'And I hope it's not too late.' Shade quickly reflected as he flash-stepped out.
/
'Damn. I'm not going to be able to catch up like this' Shade thought to himself as he flew through space after his target. 'If only I had the time to properly equip myself for multiversal travel before going after it.' He quickly formed and leapt off a platform of mana to correct his course. 'At least I can make sure to keep track of the damn thing.'
"Shade, the marble is beginning to fall into another timeline." A feminine voice called out from behind him.
"How in the heck did we miss two different unstable timelines so close to each other Storm?" Shade turned to look at the large, green sword on his back before quickly turning back to observe the marble's descent into one of the streams of time. "And why these two worlds of all the possibilities out their?"
"I don't know but we're not going to be able to enter this timeline with how unstable things are right now."
"Perfect." Shade muttered to himself in irritation. "Well. I guess we better record where it settles down before making our report."
Both man and sword moved in on the glowing river as the marble fell in. Within the world it had come upon the marble fell to the earth below as it began looking for a new host. Latching on the strongest possible connection the marbles trajectory altered as it continued to spiral down.
/
In the farming village of Ordon a dying woman gave birth to a young boy. As those that had gathered around her looked down on the boy they found themselves wondering about some of the more…. Unique traits he had even then.
"Look at those eyes." Mayor Bo gasped out in wonder. "They're so blue and yet they seem almost wolf-like."
"He looks so cute doesn't he Rusl?" Uli almost giggled to her husband.
"What? Oh! Y-yeah, sure." Rusl shook his head from his own musings. 'What's more interesting though is that he has the mark of the royal family on the back of this hand. Now, why would that be?' He mused to himself.
"While it's nice to know that you like him, I would like to have a chance to hold my son before I go" the young mother seemed to whisper out just loudly enough to be heard.
"Oh! I-I-I-I'm sorry about that Minna." Bo stuttered out as a solemn mood retook the onlookers. "Here you go."
"Thanks my friend. I hope you can watch over him after I'm gone." The woman took the baby into her arms.
"I wish the plague hadn't found you and your husband Minna." Fado sighed in the face of the woman's nonchalance.
"It's too late for that now Fado." Minna said soothingly before turning to her child. "Now, what shall we call you my son? Hmmmmm…." She thought for a moment before gasping out weakly. "Ahhhhhhh, I think I'll name you Link." A chuckled escaped her lips as she bent down to plant a kiss on his forehead.
"You and your hero stories Minna." Fado laughed hollowly in a wasted attempt to lighten the mood.
"Well, I guess at this point all I can do is hope that he has the luck of the Hero after all." Minna coughed like a rattle as she fell unto her back. "It's not like I can offer him anything more now." The mother gently closed her eyes and relaxed as she passed from this life.
"Wait! Minna, you can't…" Fado found a hand on his shoulder holding him back from the bed.
"She's gone lad, there's nothing we can do now but take care of her son." Rusl began to sooth the young man.
Fate however, had a far different thing in mind for the newborn. A loud crash and a flash of light swept through the room as something slammed through the roof of the farmhouse. Under the haze of dust and debris the glowing marble merged with the body of the babe currently crying out from beneath a pile of broken boards.
The baby began screaming as best it could, tearing its throat raw as it felt the marble begin to merge with, and rip apart, his fledgling mind. Rusl quickly scooped the boy up and dashed out of the building.
"Get everyone out of here now!" Was all he called out as he ran with the boy in his arms. 'I'm not losing you to Link.'
/
"Please explain to us once more. What exactly happened during your watch Signman?" One of the many shadowed individuals called out from above the blue giant. It's voice completely indistinct from that of any other being.
"During my watch a certain reality warping…. Manifestation shall we call it, detached itself from an undetected, unstable timeline and began to drift through the multiversal ether." He replied as if he were solid stone.
"So, beyond feeling the need to alert us to a glaring issue in our observational division, could you explain to us why you felt a need to prioritize your address to the Court before your duty to track the anomaly?" Another voice called down in what may have been accusation.
"Because I figured I should do it, considering that I was the fastest one in the general area when the event occurred." Shade supplied as he entered the nearly lightless chambers.
"I would assume that you did not retrieve the anomaly seeing as you haven't already shown it to us." A third voice joined in as Shade walked to the center of the room. "The obvious thing to ask for now is your report."
"Yes, it would be." Shade lifted his head up to address the members of the Court. "The 'anomaly' as you have dubbed it, ended up entering another previously undetected, unstable timeline within what is commonly referred to as the Zeldaverse, and attached itself to its greatest hero."
"We would prefer that our explanation be in terms we understand core-universal." The first voice spat out with enough venom to partially overwhelm the ancient wards placed on the room.
Shade turned to face the figure that had spoken, "Well then Zerandel, how is this for understandable." He then let his voice rise to be heard clearly by all. "The future hero of Hyrule, a newborn by the name of Link, has been bonded to the Reality Marble: Unlimited Bladeworks."
Silence reigned as all in session heard this statement. Even they did not yet know how much of an effect this would have on the future of Hyrule, let alone the multiverse.
Stop
Well there's the first chapter of my story Of Swords and Marbles. Hopefully I can do this plot bunny the justice it deserves (or convince someone else to do it). Yes, I know that isn't how Reality Marbles work but I really had no other way to set things up the way I wanted to. Know that I will try to get better as this fic progresses and that I will try not to let Shade become annoying (or even worse: boring). So, let's see how far this goes, shall we?