A/N: Oh hello. I'm sorta back. Hopefully I can remain back for a long time. This story will be interesting, I hope. Thank you. Yes.

In all seriousness, biiiiiig thanks to all the people who've been really great to me on here: alwaysingirl, ZeldaRubix, RoseWing-chan and Norkix. You guys have made me feel things I've never felt before (not in that way you internet hentai!). So, I've come up with this little story that I hope will entertain you all!

I'm open for criticism. ALWAYS.


I

Eon - Part 1


Slowly, very slowly, a single leaf began to drift down from a branch, the last to do so on the entire tree. It was crumpled, darkened and dried up, but did not lose any of the charm it once had as it drifted toward the ground, ruffled slightly by a short breeze before settling into the snow with a fluffy sigh.

Almost as suddenly as the leaf hit the ground, the first snowflakes of the day began to float from the sky. No good. Judging by the clouds in the sky, the snowfall would soon become too heavy to see anything.

Sighing, I placed my Hawkeye back into my pouch, careful not to place it near sharp objects in case the lenses got scratched. The cold air flew through my uncovered fingers as my hand moved back, the joints stiffening quickly before I put them back under my cloak to warm them up.

Today was colder than the other days of late, so much so that the stream was beginning to freeze partially, the flow of water slowed down by clumps of ice in the bank. Tentatively, I reached into the stream with my uncovered hand. My fingers twitched at the shocking change in temperature, collected a small handful of water and rose to my mouth. The water had the same effect on my mouth, which shivered slightly at the cold touch.

I wiped my mouth with a hand, then quickly put my scarf back over my mouth. The whole point of the operation was not to be seen, yet I was basically as hidden as 'a naked man waving his hands with a big target on his chest'. Or so I've been told. I'm sure I wasn't doing as bad as that, but I couldn't take any chances. At any moment, an arrow could pierce through the air, my skull and the tree trunk behind me.

Never mind then, I thought, disappointed that the weather yet again cut one of my recon sessions short. Getting up, I felt the crunch of snow underneath my furred boot, and a cold wetness began to run up my leg. Cursing under my breath, I made a mental note to take a needle to them when I got back. Everyone was telling me to get rid of the manky fur-skinned rags on my feet, but I had grown attached to them. They certainly held their own and helped keep me comfortable when trekking through the woods on my missions.

I rose steadily, ensuring not to make much noise, and began to trudge through the building snow back toward the town. I was right before; the snow had begun to fall at an almost alarming rate, to the point where I could only see trees a metre from my face. Pulling up my hood and the scarf covering my mouth, I held my hand in front of my face and peered through the white air to see the town's lights. Fortunately, it was starting to get dark, which I would welcome. The darkness would assist me in finding my way back to the town again, and keep me unseen by prying foreign eyes.

After a small trek, the lights of town began to blur into reality, the wind parting the snow to allow for some clearance of sight. There it was. My home town. The small, smelly village of Hogsnest. Why smelly? It was the home of the most pig farmers in Hyrule, even being founded by one (hence the name Hogsnest). It wasn't as glamorous as Hyrule Castle Town or as welcoming as Kakariko Village… but it did what it set out to do: be the best pig farming village in Hyrule.

As I entered, the smell of pigs and their food wafted past me, the familiar scent calming me down and letting me feel at ease. Here was where I felt safest. Among the wild boar surrounding the area and the big burly farm folk living with axes under their pillows, I was certain that this was probably the safest place in Hyrule. The other areas were far too open to be safe. Unfortunately, they were the victims of some vicious attacks, both from the so-called Shadow Beasts and realm of twilight. Thankfully, these occurrences had happened almost thirty years ago. Since then, the only thing heard of was the usual Bokoblin and Moblin raids of villages and petty crimes. I was thankful I would never have to deal with the supernatural. That would just scare me to no end.

It was late. I guessed from the position of the moon it would be roughly five hours before tomorrow's sunrise. Good. That gave me enough time to sleep for a few hours, pack my things and go out for a second recon session in the morning. It was best to avoid talking to the townsfolk. They were nice, but if you were to start talking to them, you'd be stuck for at least an hour.

Regardless, I was thankful that most of them were heavy sleepers. Having passed all the farms and their houses, I entered the residential district of the village. It was small. It would probably take only a few minutes to get from the first to the last house of the village, and that included the market in the middle. Here they sold pretty much nothing except pork and bacon, but on occasion a rare item would pop up, sold to us by a traveling merchant or some such person. It was here I got my Hawkeye, which is probably the most useful tool I've ever had.

I reached my house, opened the door and chucked my bag in the corner as was the routine. It was never boring. I would get sent out by the mayor of the town to perform 'recon sessions' as he would call them. Essentially, all I had to do was watch a Bokoblin tribe that had moved their location near our village a few months ago. Given that Bokoblins were infamous for their raids on villages, I was told to keep an eye on them in case of any suspicious activity. I almost told the mayor that there would be no need, since most of the villagers would be able to kill any threat with their giant meat cleavers. But he was insistent, and I needed the money.

My bed was still messy from last night's tossing and turning endeavour, but I didn't care. My mother was the one who would worry about all this stuff. I did miss her and father since they went to live in Hyrule Castle Town a few years earlier, but I would rather live in Hogsnest than in the busiest place in Hyrule. I would rather wake up to the smell of pig droppings than to the sound of women gossiping. And I would rather carry out my job as a 'recon agent' than be some kind of shop owner in the Town. But that was me and they were them. Differences aside, I loved them and I have been saving up money to buy a horse and go and visit them but, early days. It didn't help that I would blow my savings on the latest gadget on the market whenever it popped up. Otherwise, I was trying my hardest.

I wasn't hungry in the slightest, something which I was very grateful for. Ordinarily if I ate before I slept, I would wake up with a pain in my stomach and a few hours spent trying to recover. Such was my impulsive personality that I would usually give in to my hunger pangs even if it meant losing out on a day's pay.

I changed out of my white cloak and clothes, which were all wet from laying the snow for the whole day. It was when I took off my wet boots that I realised that it was freezing cold, and I was not wearing adequate clothing. My body began to shiver violently, making it difficult to unbutton my undershirt. I needed to light a fire before anything else; otherwise I risked dying from hypothermia in my sleep. I had a good supply of firewood left for the rest of the month so I just decided to heap on a lot and get some more later on. Striking the flints, my frozen hands felt waves of warmth begin to spread through the sharp rocks. Sparks flew, nestled into the firewood, and a flame was born. If I was ever glad any creation of Din, it would be fire. It was something I and the other townsfolk would use often, as it was often cold here.

I took off my wet clothes and laid them beside the fire, hoping that there would be enough time for the fabric to dry off by tomorrow. I've done recon sessions in the snow with wet clothes before, and it isn't at all pleasant. By the time I came home I found that ice had begun to form in the creases of my cloak and scarf. I had to skip a day's wage too as I came down with sickness afterwards. It wasn't an easy job, but it was exclusive to me, so I loved it.

Resisting the urge to eat a porkchop out of boredom, I put on my nightclothes and lay down in bed, waiting for the fire to die out. I knew if I left it alone it would misbehave and burn my modest little place down, so it was always something I had to keep an eye on. Sleep wasn't an issue, with the cold winds permanently prying my eyes open every time I left the house. So I stayed sitting up and took out a book I had been reading: Ways of the Bokoblin (and How to Interact with Them Peacefully). It was pretty comprehensive, but I was everything I needed. I often took it with me when I went to scout out the Bokoblin camp. Really, it was my lifeline, since it could get me to negotiate or calm down the Bokoblins if I was ever captured by them. They were primitive, but they could communicate, and that's all I needed to know. I wouldn't be any good in a fight anyway.

As the night progressed, I read through pages I had already covered years ago, refreshing my memory for subjects like Bokoblin diet to Bokoblin interactions. As I was in my own little world, sounds began to spring forth from the streets; the very first words of the rising sun coming from a hungover old man. My fire was slowly dying, which allowed me some peace of mind. I decided to close my eyes and try to sleep for a while, knowing that it would only be two hours or so before the first Cucco call and the signal for everyone to get back to work. Including me.

Slowly, the drunken ramblings grew fainter, and the world grew dimmer. Succumbing to my body's wishes, I closed my eyes and lay back, thankful at least that I could get a couple hours' sleep before the next day.


XxX


Somebody's in here…

My eyes flew open in shock, my reflexes firing at all cylinders at the presence in my room. Before I could do anything, however, a gloved hand reached down and palmed my mouth. My eyes darted back and forth around my room, trying to see any escape route, any weapon I could use. But I couldn't move; this person's weight was holding me down. I heard metal clank together as they moved.

"Shh," they hushed me softly. It was a soothing sound, though I was anything but calm at this time.

"Shh," they breathed again, "If you make any sound, they will find you."

The voice was deep and sounded distinctly male. Having given them a once-over, I was convinced that it was a man holding me down. Their face was covered by a scarf and hood, so that only their eyes could be seen. I was hesitant to trust this person, but at the same time I felt that something was amiss.

"Listen," the man whispered softly. "I need to you co-operate so that we can get things done right. But you must be absolutely quiet or it's the end for both of us. If I take my hand away will you be quiet?"

Tough choice. On the one hand, I had no reason to trust this man, whose hand was so well-acquainted with my mouth that it could probably marry it. But on the other, I could tell something wasn't right. The air felt heavier, and it was darker than it was before I went to sleep. I tried to use my senses to gauge the situation. My eyes saw only this man's outline and covered face. My nose took in the smell of gunpowder laced on his glove, quite fresh. My mouth tasted my own spit mixed with the soot on his hand, which I tried to not to swallow. My ears heard the wind softly rattling through the house and the crackling of a fire. Wait… what?

I was overcome with curiosity. I needed to know what was going on around me, and fast. So I nodded slowly, my eyes showing sincerity that I would not betray this man's trust.

His eyes showed acknowledgement, and he removed his hand. I sat up quickly and looked around the room, more specifically at the fire. It was fully blazing as when I first lit it, not dying out as I had seen it before. There was no extra firewood on there that I saw, my supply largely untouched. I could hear myself give a noise of confusion, which the man also picked up on. He got off me and sat at the end of my bed.

"I know you're confused and rightly so, but we have to get out of here right now. You're in danger."

I could barely register his words, but something about his urgent voice was compelling, making me listen to every word.

"What's going on?" I asked, sitting up and squeezing my legs through the gap he left, leaving them on the floor.

"No time now. You need to collect everything important. And wear something durable. Don't worry about food or water. Just take clothes, oil, Rupees… anything like these things."

'Everything important' was in my satchel for when I went out for recon sessions. 'Durable' clothing fit into my recon clothes and cloak. I stood and went on to put them on. The man got up as I dressed, pacing back and forth, always looking out the window. He was wearing almost the same clothes as me but a different colour. While I had a white cloak and green clothes to conceal me in the forest, he was wearing all black, with hints of green. The Hylian Crest was embroidered in gold in the back of his cloak, tattered but recognisable.

"Okay," the man said quickly when I was finished dressing. "You have absolutely everything important?"

"Uh, yes..?" I half-asked, wondering why it was so important that I have this stuff.

"Sure? Because once we leave, there's no coming back."

I laughed, the melodrama catching me off guard. The man stared at me with stern eyes.

"This is no laughing matter. Your life is at stake here."

I stifled a second laugh at his melodramatic seriousness, and nodded.

"Yes, everything important. All in here."

He nodded brusquely.

"Okay, let's get out of here."

He opened my door with a push, and it slammed against the wall outside. I cringed. So much for being quiet.

"Quickly, this way," he whispered. I obliged, too tired to argue. He ran outside, looking left and right frantically as he came to my street's crossroads.

"This way," he said, sprinting off to the left. I sighed as I followed, my feet having not fully woken up. I wondered what the heck I was doing, following this guy who I've never met into the street in the middle of the night. But then again, it shouldn't be the middle of the night. It should be nearing morning.

"Quickly now. We don't want them to catch up to us."

He vaulted a wall and continued sprinting through the streets, towards the woods. I vaulted it quite a bit more slowly and ran as fast as I could to keep up with him. If anything I knew that this man was very acrobatic and athletic. I, on the other hand, wasn't so nimble.

"What… are you… talking about?" I gasped between breaths. He didn't let up, seeming to have all the energy he began with.

"I'll explain when we get to the woods. Right now we don't have time to stop and talk. It'll be a long talk, after all."

I groaned inwardly as I kept running. On the bright side, I could start my recon shift a bit earlier than usual. Maybe even get a bit more pay for more hours. At least I would if the mayor wasn't such a skinflint.

We came to another crossroads. The man stopped and stared straight ahead, at the looming forest only a few minutes' run ahead.

"Almost at the forest now. Quickly."

I was glad this little endeavour was almost over. If my lungs were any indication, I had had enough exercise to last me for the next year. He vaulted the wall which led into the forest and kept running. I sighed, thinking that I would be able to stop running as soon as the forest was reached. Such is life, I suppose…

We ran for about another five minutes before the man finally came to a halt. I stopped just before him, collapsing onto the ground.

"No time to rest now. We have to climb," he said, pointing to the tree ahead of him. I groaned and rose from the ground. I suspected I wasn't going to like him very much.

Thankfully we were both adept at climbing, so keeping up with him this time was easy. When we got to the top, he lay down on his waist on a thick branch, pulled out a Hawkeye, and surveyed the town. I was surprised.

"Oh, you have a Hawkeye too?" I asked. I had thought they were quite a rare novelty, being relatively new technology.

"I do. Very useful, especially for recon," he answered, still scanning the town.

"Recon..?"

"Shh," he hushed. "You're gonna get part of an explanation fairly soon."

"Part of an explanation?" I couldn't keep up.

"Just hold on tightly to your branch and keep looking at the town square."

He put his Hawkeye away and hugged his branch tightly. I did so too, realising it was all but futile to ask any more questions. The only speech he had used was to give me an order, whether it is to run this way or that. And I still didn't know why I was doing this.

"You know I still don't get this. What are we doing in this tree in the middle of the night?"

He turned to face me, eyes intense but weary. The sound of the town drunk's ramblings floated to my ears, as soothing as the alcohol that birthed them.

"Like I said," he whispered in a hushed voice. "Part of an explanation."

As soon as the last word left his mouth, I heard a colossal bang which rocked the tree from side to side, wind rushing past as if like birds flying from a loud noise. I struggled to stay on the branch as it swayed, the wind shoving it back and forth. One of my hands started to lose its grip, and I yelled at the thought of falling from this height. The man remained on his branch, clearly hanging on for dear life but trying not to show it.

"Stay still! Don't struggle!" I heard him yell over the ringing in my ears.

I did so, trying to calm myself down. Soon the branch stopped swinging, and all that could be heard was the sound of a crackling fire. The smell of burning wood and metal filled my nostrils, pungent and black. I looked down in horror from the branch, trying to hold on but almost slipping. The fire was burning steadily, but it would be finished by the time the sun rose. Then the hungover people of Hogsnest would awaken and begin their daily duties. Except they couldn't. Because there was no farms. No pigs. No Hogsnest.

It had been burnt down to its very foundations.