This was actually the final piece to an idea I came up with a few years ago when I was trying to come up with a reason why Link and Zelda change every other Zelda game. I originally had started the other parts, too, but, in the end, this was the only part I felt like bothering to finish. Please, Zelda faithful, don't get mad at me because I used a song from Kingdom Hearts in here. If you ever heard 'Dearly Beloved', you'd understand; it's so much prettier than 'Here Comes the Bride' and 'Canon'. Also, keep in mind this is A Link to the Past era with some Ocarina of Time, The Minish Cap, and Twilight Princess thrown in, as well as some characters of my own creation. But I, in no way, shape, or form, claim rights to The Legend of Zelda. It's Nintendo's.
Hyrule Temple echoed with the sound of footsteps and light-hearted chatter and laughter. For this special day, the pews were lined with satin white ribbons and small pots of white roses. At least a hundred people had gathered from everyday peasants of Toaru Village to high nobles from all across the planet. Everyone stared up at the front of the temple, where before the altar stood the Prime Minister, Potho, the three bride's maids, the best man, and the groom. Yes, it was a wedding, and the biggest event in Hyrule- the marriage of Princess Lady Zelda Hyrule and Sir Linkin "Link" Hikari, the Hero of Salvation and Holy Knight who protected Hyrule.
Link looked around uncomfortably staring down at his clothes. He hadn't dressed up in anything special, just the Robe of Lords he'd received upon becoming a knight. Underneath that, he just wore his usual green tunic and loose white clothes beneath it. His sword was strapped to his right hip, just in case of attack, and every now and then it vibrated and he put a hand to the hilt to calm it. He was worried- the Master Sword only did that when evil was nearby- but he couldn't see anything suspicious. It was possible one of the guests was actually a monster in disguise, but he couldn't exactly go up to them and see who the Master Sword reacted to the most. He was already unusual enough as it was without making a complete idiot out of himself in the eyes of all the foreign diplomats. He could feel their eyes burning into the back of his head, and he could vaguely hear them gossiping about him. It didn't really surprise him; he was a famous person, even if that hadn't been the case a little over three years ago when he was fifteen, the year he discovered his destiny as a hero...
Link glanced over at Saria Kokirin his first friend from outside Toaru Village who'd made him the tunic he proudly wore every day, now one of Zelda's bride's maids, then turned his head to see his best man and closest friend, Xavier Wolf. Xavier wasn't dressed up, either, garbed in a simple blue tunic with loose fitting white clothes underneath. Link looked into the crowd of spectators, noticing many of the young girls were staring at his friend. Link let his eyes fall to Xavier's left hand, where a simple gold band gleamed in the light from the windows above. His eyes quickly fled to Saria's left hand, where a slightly smaller, identical band rested. Just yesterday, their situations had been switched, Link the best man and Xavier the groom while Zelda was a bride's maid and Saria was the bride. Xavier had, after all, proposed to Saria only a day before Link proposed to Zelda...
The groom immediatly snapped to attention as he watched his friends and the guests turn toward the door leading into Hyrule Temple and the chorus began to sing a wordless version of 'Dearly Beloved' as a young flower girl in a frilly pink dress entered, throwing petals to the floor, immediatly followed by Zelda and her father, King Daltus. Link felt his breath catch in his chest as he watched his soon-to-be wife come down the aisle, wearing a beautiful white gown and a filmy veil over her face. She smiled as she saw his stare, gently wrapping her gloved fingers around her boquet of white roses. Soon her father was walking away toward the front pew where Queen Gwendolyn was waiting and Zelda was on her own to finish the walk to the altar. Link lifted his left hand out to her the same way he'd been rehersing it for the past few days, and she graciously put her right hand into his hand, trying to ignore the dim golden light that lit the backs of their hands as their Triforce pieces resonated. Zelda handed her boquet to Saria the same way Saria had given her boquet to Zelda the previous day, and Link and Zelda turned toward Minister Potho, who opened a large red book with the emblem of the Triforce on the cover and began reading the words that would soon bind Link and Zelda together forever.
"Dearly beloved, we are gathered here today to celebrate the joining of this man and this woman in holy matrimony. If anyone here objects to this union, speak now or forever hold your peace," Link silently gazed over at Xavier, who was grinning at him. The previous day, as a joke, Link had objected to Xavier's and Saria's union, giving the stupidest reason for them not to be together as was humanly possible- Xavier's lack of control over his flatulence. Of course, no one had taken Link's objection seriously, and Link had seen Xavier blushing until long after the reception. He was expecting Xavier to return the favor now, but he kept quiet, simply grinning at his best friend. The minister looked around, and, after a minute of silence, continued,"You may now exchange vows. Zelda, your vows?"
Link and Zelda turned to each other, hands clasped together, and Zelda stared up into Link's face, beginning her vows, "Link, I know it hasn't been long since we first met, but I already know that I want to spend the rest of my life with you. I don't care what troubles may wait ahead for us, but I know that as long as you're there with me, I can face them. I love you, Link, and I always will."
"Now your vows, Link."
"Zelda, the minute we met, I knew I'd found the only woman I could ever love again. I've been greatful to serve under you these last three years, and now I hope I can serve you as your husband, too. I love you, Zelda, more than words can ever express. I'd give anything to keep you safe from harm, even my own life."
Zelda's eyes filled with tears and Link gently wiped them away before they turned back to Minister Potho, who continued the ceremony, "Do you, Princess Lady Zelda Hyrule, take this man to be your lawfully wedded husband to have and to hold, to honor and to cherish in sickness and in health as long as you both shall live?"
"I do," Zelda answered, gazing up at Link. He smiled at her lovingly.
"And do you, Linkin Hikari, take this woman to be your lawfully wedded wife to have and to hold, to honor and to cherish in sickness and in health as long as you both shall live?"
"I-" Link stopped, a strange tingle of pain starting in the back of his mind. He felt the Master Sword vibrating against his hip again, and he looked around for anyone who appeared suspicious. The pain intensified and Link bit back a scream, falling to his knees and gasping for breath as the pain spread to his lungs, then his stomach, and then every point in his body.
"Kill her..." Link heard someone say, though he wasn't sure who. He realized the voice was in his head, and he clamped his hands over his ears, wanting to scream as the voice continued, "Kill her...Kill Zelda...You must destroy her... KILL HER!!!" Link gasped, doubling over, his body no longer in his control. He felt Zelda's hands on his back and heard her shaking voice asking him what was wrong, and he tried to scream at her to run, but he only felt his mouth open and a low hiss leave his lips as he got to his feet, turning toward his fiancee. He unsheathed the Master Sword, vibrating out of control and giving off a bright white light that blinded everyone.
"Link, what's wrong?" Zelda asked, carefully walking to Link and lifting a hand to his face. "Link...?"
With lightning fast swiftness, Link lifted the Master Sword, swinging it at Zelda. She managed to dodge the attack, though she sustained a graze on her arm. She stared up at her fiance, her eyes wide with worry. What was he doing? Why?! She heard the guests screaming behind her, and looked back to see them fleeing the temple until it was only Xavier, Saria, Zelda, and Link. Link went to strike again and Xavier jumped at him, grabbing his wrist and trying to pull the sword out of Link's hand. The sword glowed brighter, forcing Xavier away from Link and slamming him into a nearby wall, his head splitting open with a sickening crack as he lost consciousness. Saria gasped, trying to run to her husband, but Link grabbed her left arm, twisting it around her back and putting the Master Sword's blade to her throat. She screamed only once before Link quickly swung his sword into her throat, severing her head completely. He dropped her body to the ground, turning now to Zelda. She backed away from him until her back was to the golden wall in which the Triforce was engraved at the front of the temple.
"Link...Stop...Please..."Zelda begged, to no avail. Link slowly walked up to her, stopping for a moment to stare down at her. He took the veil on her head and flung it away, lifting the sword to strike her again. She closed her eyes, covering her face with her hands, and screamed. "Link!!"
Link awoke from his trance when he felt the familiar warmth of blood splatter against his body. His vision was unfocused, and for a moment, he wasn't even sure where he was or what he was doing there, until it all came back to him in a swift torrent of emotion. He was in Hyrule Temple, getting married to Zelda. Yes, that much he knew. He remembered Minister Potho asking him the question that would forever bind him and the princess together, but after that... Link blinked back the bluriness of his vision, until, at last, he was able to see. He looked back, surprised to see Xavier, unconscious and bleeding, slumped against the wall, and pure horror chilled his body as he caught sight of Saria, her head lying several feet from her body. Slowly, afraid of what he might find, Link turned back to the front of the temple, lowering his gaze to the floor. He gasped, dropping the Master Sword so that the blade caught in the carpet and the sword stood at a slight angle. His legs went numb and he fell to his knees, feeling his heart pounding wildly against his chest as his vision blurred with tears. His trembling fingers reached forward until they bumped into the soft, silk fabric of Zelda's wedding dress, now colored red by the princess's blood. He pulled his fingers back as if the fabric burned his flesh, then slowly moved his hands up to her face, contorted with fear. When his fingers finally reached her cheeks, felt the tears flowing down her cheeks as they were his own, he finally found his voice and screamed, really screamed!
"Zelda! Zelda!! Come on, wake up!! Please!!! Zelda!!!!" Link's fingers tightly wrapped around Zelda's arms, trying to shake her awake, as though she were simply asleep and this could easily wake her. "Dammit, Zelda, wake up!! You can't die like this! Not you, too!!! ZELDA!!!" As the horrible truth finally sank in, Link reluctantly released Zelda's arms, burrying his face into her bosom and sobbing. "Dammit...You can't be dead...Not you, too..."
"No, Link, she can be dead. Her and everyone else unlucky enough to cross paths with you,"Link quickly got up, startled, lifting the Master Sword back out and spinning around to see Xavier standing there, an evil grin on his face,"Yep. You were bad luck for a whole lot of people."
"X?"
"Who else would it be? You Hylians...Idiots, the whole lot of you."
Link lifted his sword out in front of him, his eyes still full of tears, "You did this, didn't you?"
"Of course I did," Xavier said with a shrug, as if it were some trivial matter. This only further irritated Link.
"You killed your own wife!"
"So did you. And, for all intents and purposes, you also killed your parents, your foster mother, your friends..."
"I didn't kill anyone!"
"Really? So, I was just imagining you running the Master Sword through your precious Zelda's heart, then? It looked so real-"
"Shut up!" Link screamed, holding up the Master Sword to attack,"You bastard! You won't get away with this!!"
"Ooh, I'm shaking in my boots!" Xavier said sarcastically, "The pathetic Hero of Salvation, who can't even protect a few little girls, is going to try to kill me. I'm so scared!" Xavier stopped, barely jumping out of the way in time as Link swung the Master Sword blindly through the air at him with all his might, causing him to stumble from his own strength. "Well, what'll you know; if that had been a little faster you might have-" Xavier did a quick backflip to avoid another swing of Link's sword. Link was more balanced now, and his marine blue eyes were murky and dark like the bottom of the ocean as he glared hatefully at the man whom he'd thought was his friend since childhood. "So, you really want to fight me, do you, Link?" Xavier smiled, a black sword materializing in his right hand, "Well, then, show me what you've got."
Link didn't hesitate as he rushed forward toward Xavier, stopping halfway to his friend to perform a jump attack. Xavier jumped to the side, completely avoiding the strike, and swung his own sword in time with Link's so their blades locked halfway between both of them. To Xavier's surprise, Link forced his sword forward, knocking Xavier off balance. Xavier quickly ducked to the floor, avoiding a horizontal slice from Link and kicking Link's feet out from under him, sending Link falling to the floor. Xavier thrust his sword down, managing to cut a deep gash in Link's right arm as Link rolled out of the way. Link got back to his feet performing a spin attack so Xavier couldn't touch him while he rose, and then used a back slice to get behind Xavier and slice into his back, sending black blood everywhere. Xavier did another backflip, landing behind Link and nearly decapitating him as Link lifted his sword in defense, ending up with a large cut across all of his fingers. Xavier lunged forward toward Link, sword wildly slashing at the air while Link tried to dodge the strikes. Xavier's sword landed between one end of the hilt and the blade of the Master Sword and Link quickly turned his sword like a key, twisting Xavier's sword out of his grasp before he kicked it behind him so Xavier couldn't reach it. Stunned, Xavier could only watch in awe as Link put the tip of his blade to Xavier's throat, barely piercing the skin. To Link's surprise, Xavier held up his hands in surrender, an almost pitiful smirk on his face.
"All right, Mr. Hero, you win fair and square. So," Xavier smiled, his dark green eyes lit with madness, "finish the job and kill me." Link was hesitant, the sword trembling in his hand as he stared between it and Xavier. "What's wrong? Don't you want revenge? I lied to you for fourteen years. I killed your friends. It's only fair that you kill me, now, and return the favor ...Unless you're too much of a coward." Link closed his eyes, trying to fight the tears forcing their way down his face. He finally choked out,
"Why...Why did you do this?"
"You. I knew all along what you were destined for. Your parents, Hylia, meeting Zelda, lifting the Master Sword, becoming a hero, killing Ganon... Hylia knew, too. That's why she took you in. To protect you from the scum that would try to harness your power for evil...Scum like me," Xavier sighed, grabbing the Master Sword's blade with one hand and Link's hand, wrapped so tightly around the sword's hilt that his fingers were actually bleeding, with the other. Link gasped, trying to pull his hand away futiley, but Xavier wouldn't release it, "Look at you. The great Holy Knight and legendary Hero of Salvation; supposedly, the most powerful man in Hyrule, if not the world, but what good has come from this grand position? Your parents were killed because monsters were looking for you, Hylia died so you wouldn't feel obligated to stay behind and help her instead of becoming a hero, your closest friends are dead. Is this position really all you thought it was cracked up to be before? Wouldn't it be nice if it'd all just...go away?"
Link gasped, a slight shiver going up and down his spine despite himself. For a moment, he thought about this, and actually liked the idea of being normal, "You can do that?"
"That, and more. All I need are your powers. You've got a lot of potential to be a great mage, I can tell. Most of that magic you used before when you fought Ganon wasn't from the Triforce of Courage; it was from you. If you give me those powers, I can turn your life back around. Zelda, Hylia, Saria, and your parents can all come back! You'll never have become a hero; you'll be a simple country boy- or, I guess, prince- without a worry or care in the world, married to the girl of your dreams, with the life you used to tell me you wanted everyday. All for the simple price of your magic and abilities."
Xavier released his hold on Link's hand and Link's arm dropped limply to his side, his eyes wide open in shock. A normal life with his friends and family, all for some dumb powers he didn't even know existed? There had to be some kind of catch... some loophole that would actually make his life worse instead of better...but... a normal life... "If I do this, and give you these "powers", will I forget all of this ever happened? Everything I've ever done with my life up to now, will that be gone?"
"Only if you want it to be," Xavier replied softly, lifting his hand out to Link's to gesture for a handshake, "So, do we have a deal?"
Link stared down at Xavier's hand, then lifted his own. To his surprise and Xavier's, he slapped away Xavier's hand, lifting the Master Sword and holding it in front of him defensively, "Hell fucking no! I'll die before I do that!"
Xavier stared at Link, his normally kind, green eyes a dark red, almost the color of blood, "Bad move, kid," Xavier's sword reappeared in his hand and he held it out towards Link challengingly, "I guess I'll just have to take your powers by force, then!"
Link stared at Xavier's sword before he slowly lowered his own, turning around toward Zelda, "No, you won't," Link stared down at the Triforce of Wisdom faintly glowing on the back of Zelda's right hand, then turned back toward Xavier, "because..." Link lifted the sword, blade pointed toward Xavier again. He pushed it forward as though to stab at Xavier, but instead twirled it around so it was pointed at himself, "...I'll die before I let you."
Before Xavier could react, Link pushed the sword inward, stabbing himself in the chest. The Master Sword pierced through to the other side of his skin, and blood went everywhere, a large puddle already surrounding him before he even fell to the floor. All of the shapes in front of Link went out of focus, and he weakly moved his head to look at Zelda. He lifted his left hand and stretched it until it met with her right hand and he clasped it gently, " I am the Savior of Hyrule...No matter where, no matter when...For the sake of Hyrule and Princess Zelda...I shall fight...Until the day peace returns to Hyrule, my soul will never rest...Never..." Link let out one final, haggard breath before he slumped to the floor, dead.
Hyrule seemed to fall eerily silent, the only sound now confined to a small temple in the center of the land. Xavier stared down at Link, still in shock from what he'd just seen. He watched silently as blood continued to spill out of Link's body, until it finally seeped under his boots and the wet sensation on the bottoms of his feet snapped him out of his trance. He walked over to Link and Zelda, almost tempted to lift out the Master Sword from Link's corpse, and stared down at the serene smile now over Link's face. "You..." Xavier started, then fell to his knees, screaming, "You bastard! I offered you a new life, all because you tried to be my friend, and you turn it down to kill yourself! Did thoughts of a better life actually scare you, or were you just that damn stupid that you'd kill yourself rather than take a deal that'd make your life so much easier on you?!!"
No answer. Xavier glared down at his friend's corpse, when Link's final words echoed through his head, "I am the Savior of Hyrule...No matter where, no matter when...For the sake of Hyrule and Princess Zelda...I shall fight...Until the day peace returns to Hyrule, my soul will never rest..." That wasn't some silly, stoic hero's vow... It was a curse, said by Link and cast on Link! But why? Why would Link put such a ridiculous curse on himself? Surely, he couldn't have hoped that peace would ever come to a place like Hyrule... Xavier looked down at Link's and Zelda's joined hands, and saw their Triforce pieces glowing dimly with golden light. No, it wasn't just a curse on Link...Link had knowingly spread the curse to Zelda, as well. And, then, all of the pieces came together. Link hadn't cast that curse to force himself and Zelda into fighting for Hyrule the rest of eternity; it was so they could be reincarnated, to find each other again!
"How sickeningly sweet," Xavier said, a smug smile on his face as he stared down at the bloody Master Sword embedded in Link's chest, "to give up the chance to start your life over, with all your family and friends, just to kill and trap yourself and your beloved princess in a reincarnation cycle so you two can meet again in another life. You're hopeless, even in death!" Xavier got back to his feet, making his sword disappear in a thick cloud of smoke, "No matter. I'll just hunt you down in your next life, and, if I fail then, too, I'll find you again, and again, until I finally get what I deserve!" Xavier turned now to leave, though, where he was going was a mystery, even to him, when a strange rumble filled his ears and he felt everything around him shake. Cracks began to form up the walls and in the ceiling, and he looked around cautiously.
The rumbling increased into a deafening roar, and a sudden, loud explosion and bright flash of light filled the temple. Squinting against the light, Xavier saw the two corpses lift into the air, hands still clasped together, before they finally stopped halfway up to the ceiling and a light blue crystal of quartz trapped them, protecting them from the earthquake. Xavier quickly disappeared as fire began to engulf the land until, at last, Hyrule was no more...
~ 1,986 years later- Exact Date Unknown, Kokiri Forest, New Hyrule~
"Xavier! Xavier! Xavier, you've gotta come see what I found! You won't believe it!!"Xavier Wolf quietly glanced up from his book to see his younger sister, Saria, running toward him, a light green bundle wrapped in her arms.
"What's up, kiddo?" Xavier barely managed to say when Saria rammed into him, a huge smile spread across her face. She flipped a few strands of her light green hair out of her face, and stared breathlessly down at the bundle.
"You know that Fado Flower I wished on, that I asked if I could have a little sibling? It did it! I heard the Great Deku Tree call me this morning, and when I went out to see him, I saw this pretty lady lying in the meadow, cradling a baby in her arms. She gave him to me and made me promise I'd always protect him, and...he's so cute!!"
"That so?" Xavier reached down for the bundle in Saria's arms and reached around until he found a sticky, little forehead and patted it gently, surprised to find a few locks of hair pasted to his forehead, "So, you think of a name yet?"
"Nuh uh. The lady already gave him one 'cept for his last name, which, of course, is gonna be Wolf anyways. His name's kinda funny, actually; definitely unique."
"Will you cut to the chase and tell me what it is, already?"
"Fine, party pooper. Xavier, meet your new baby brother, Linkin Anthony Wolf!" Xavier gasped, staring down at the little bundle of blankets in Saria's arms. She lifted her little brother out of her arms and gently placed him in Xavier's, who was having difficultly thinking straight, let alone holding Linkin. He looked down at the baby's face, with his little bits of blond hair still pasted to his forehead by afterbirth and his large, marine blue eyes that stared up at him with a clarity and understanding he knew babies shouldn't have, "See? See?! Isn't he adorable?! I was thinking we could just call him Link, and maybe only call him Linkin when he gets in trouble, and I know he will since he'll be living with you."
Xavier was barely listening anymore, his eyes glued to the baby in his arms. Link cooed and reached his tiny hands out of the blankets, giggling as he tried to touch Xavier's face. It was too much to be a mere coincidence; this little baby was Link's reincarnation! He'd tracked down different boys named Link for nearly two thousand years, but all of them had met some terrible fate before Xavier could even meet them face to face. Now, here was another Link, actually placed right into Xavier's hands. It was too good to be true!
"So, what do you think? Isn't he a little angel?"
"He's...cute. Definitely mischief maker material."
"Xavier! You are not raising my little brother to be another version of you!" Saria screamed, snatching Link out of her brother's arms and hugging him protectively against her chest.
"Ah, why not? I can teach him to streak through the forest, play nasty pranks on Mido when he isn't looking, maybe teach him everything that makes your skin crawl..."
"You moron. If I ever find out you're corrupting this sweet, little boy, I'll..." Saria stopped, having to think of a good punishment for her older brother, "...I'll tell Brett-sempai* who really broke his sword!"
"Brett? That's the best you can come up with?"
"Trust me, when Brett finds out what you did, he'll kick your-" Saria stopped as Link started crying, his little lips making sucking motions and his fingers prying at the air above him. "Ah, poow babay. Are you hungy? Huh? Come on, let's leave meanie beanie Xavier awone and get you some food, "Saria said, cuddling the baby and speaking in a childish voice that made Xavier raise an eyebrow in amusement.
"Meanie beanie?"
"Shut up. I can't help what you are!" Saria turned up her nose, storming off to her house while rocking Link in her arms, still making little sucking motions with his lips. Xavier stared after them, highly amused. Barely even ten minutes with the new Link, and he already knew what was in store for him... "Hey, meanie beanie, are you coming or not?" Saria screamed out from her window, holding Link in one arm and a bottle of milk in the other, feeding the little baby. Xavier only had to watch for a few seconds before Link's eyes drooped and his lips let go of the bottle, drifting off to sleep.
"Fine. Just a sec, bed wetter!"
"What?! You- You jerk, I told you never to talk about that in public ever again!"
"Why? Are you afraid Link's listening, taking in material he'll use against you when he's old enough to talk?"
"Shut up. I have just as many secrets of yours to tell Link as you have of mine!" Xavier chuckled, lifting his arms in defeat, and began walking toward the house. Life in Kokiri Forest just got a whole lot more interesting, and it'd be even more interesting when Xavier finally had Link's powers...
-The End-
~The Legend of ZELDA: The Original Hero~
By: Flock o' Seagulls
* Sempai is a Japanese word meaning someone who is older, such as in school or in the workplace. The Kokiri use Japanese a lot in my stories.
~For those who didn't know (probably because I usually only share my ideas with my best friend and fellow Zelda fan and I'm sure she's not reading this), twenty-one years from the end of the story, Link discovers the truth about Xavier, and sets out to destroy him to avenge his former incarnation. The resulting battle ensues with Xavier using the dark forces of the Twilight Realm and Link using the Spirits of Light and his own powers. And, the final result is... I guess I'll have to get some good reviews before I tell ya!