Skip this introduction if you want to get straight to the fanfic!
Hey everyone, I'm Falls-44, and I'm finally back after a one year hiatus from this site. I really love writing, but I've just been so busy with school and life, and I haven't really had much time to do anything else. But now I've got some time set aside and I can start writing again, woohoo!
Anyways, about this particular story. It's unconventional in the fact that some of it (the first few chapters at the beginning) all occur in my idea of what modern day Hyrule would be like. The Hylian race has progressed very much to our current technology level, utilizing planes, cars, the internet, and the like. Things such as the Gorons and Zoras have been dismissed as pure mythology by modern Hylian scholars, and the deeds of ancient heroes and villains have faded with time into nothing more than pure legend.
Well of course, you and I both know that there is some truth to those ancient legends! But unfortunately, the majority of Hyrule's population lives in a state of blissful ignorance at the impact those myths continue to exert on every day life.
Take Zelda for example. She's just your average college student, trying to survive her Freshman year at Hyrule University. Weighed down with (literally) tons of work, stupendously unexciting classes, and the general hectic life of a newly independent teenager, life for her is pretty crazy. It doesn't help at all when an ancient evil goes on the rampage and a certain blond hero drops in and takes her on the adventure of a lifetime.
Overall summary:
Action/Adventure/Romance
Rated: T for language and adult situations later on.
English
Update: Hopefully every week or so!
Pairings: Zelda x Link
Disclaimer: The Legend of Zelda, and pretty much anything related to it, is owned by Nintendo, although this story is property of Falls-44!
Read, Review, and Enjoy!
Old Legends Die Hard
By Falls-44
"She has potential, I'll admit that much."
"She's definitely the one. There's no mistaking it."
"What makes you so sure? We've been chasing around hundreds of possible candidates for only the Goddesses know how long. What makes her so special?"
"It's just my intuition. But I can feel it. She's different."
"You know what I think about trusting your gut."
"Call it a hunch or whatever you want, but I know she's the person we've been looking for."
"Oh? Is that a fact?"
"Give me just one day, and I'll prove it to you."
"Alright. You've got twenty four hours. Go."
Zelda moaned in frustration as her alarm clock erupted into a cacophony of ear splitting noise, shattering the early morning tranquility. Rolling onto her side, eyes still closed, she blindly swiped at the infernal contraption, hoping to hit the snooze button.
No luck.
"Alright, alright, I'm awake already," Zelda grumbled, rolling out of her bed onto the hard floor of her dormitory. The cold floor felt like death to Zelda, who was fervently wishing that she was still warm and snug in her bed. Fumbling around in the semi-darkness, she eventually extricated a pair of worn jeans and a shirt from a pile of crumpled clothing. Zelda threw her still-ringing alarm clock an evil glare before bolting for the shower.
She delicately picked her way through the mess that was her dormitory room. Books, school supplies, and half finished reports lay everywhere, and the few pieces of furniture were all strewn haphazardly around the room. In the corner of the dormitory sat her roommate Malon, busily typing away on her computer with a steaming mug by her side.
"By Nayru, I don't know how you can wake up so early every day," Zelda said. "I feel like a walking re-dead."
Malon briefly glanced over the top of her computer screen, tucking an errant strand of her ruby-red hair behind one ear. "It's all about the coffee, Zel. Cremia's premium." She smiled in amusement as she sipped from her mug. "You want some?"
Zelda shook her head. "I'm planning on getting some breakfast after I take my shower. Maybe I'll stop by at Cremia's. You wanna come with me?"
"Sorry Zel, but I gotta finish this report, or Professor Darmani will have my hide. Get a load of my title: 'A Treatise on Economic Theory and the Global Integration of Hyrule.' It's pretty good, eh?"
Zelda rolled her eyes and chuckled as she headed for the bathroom. "Give me a warning if I'm in there too long."
"Will do," Malon replied, returning to her busy work as the bathroom door slammed shut behind Zelda.
Zelda sighed as she felt warm droplets of water drum against her skin, the steam from her shower fogging up the bathroom mirror. Another day. Zelda stifled a yawn as the warm water threatened to lull her into sleep again. She was still exhausted from finishing her Hylian History essay the night before. Sometimes, college life was pretty rough.
Lathering herself with soap, she vaguely wondered what was on the day's schedule. Breakfast definitely, she decided. Her empty stomach was growling in hunger. Then classes, classes, and more classes until evening. Zelda winced as she imagined the pile of work she'd be receiving today. She was mentally kicking herself for scheduling so many courses for her first year at university.
A sharp series of raps came at the bathroom door. "Five thirty, Zel," came Malon's muffled voice from the other side. Zelda groaned and wiped off the last soap suds. That left her barely enough time to grab a bite to eat before her first class of the day. Ruefully shutting off the water, she stepped out of the shower and instantly regretted it as the warmth of the shower was replaced by the comparatively cold air in the bathroom.
Teeth chattering, she quickly dried herself with a towel and slipped on her clothing. Zelda checked her watch. Five thirty-three. She sprinted out of the bathroom and scrambled for her textbooks and purse, much to Malon's amusement.
"What I wouldn't give for another hour of sleep…," Zelda muttered, fishing out her cell phone from beneath a clutter of research papers.
"Should have thought of that before signing up for the six o'clock psychology course," Malon teased. "I still can't understand why you did that."
"It seemed a good idea at the time," Zelda replied, finding a spare pencil underneath the table. "You know, one of these days we should really clean up our dormitory."
Malon waved her hand dismissively. "You know as well as I do we're never going to do that."
Zelda chuckled and grabbed one of their room keys. "See you in a few hours, Malon."
"Later, Zel."
Weak rays of sunlight greeted Zelda's eyes as she left her dormitory. The campus of Hyrule University was still relatively quiet at this time of the day. In the distance, Zelda could discern the silhouettes of other students heading to classes or simply lounging around in the early morning hours.
Hyrule University was one of the largest colleges in the country. It was located in Castle Town, Hyrule's capital, and as a result the campus was usually a bustling hive of activity. Most places in Castle Town were only a few minutes walk from Hyrule University's campus, including historical sites such as the Temple of Time or even Hyrule Castle, the seat of the nation's government.
Whenever she wasn't weighed down with work or other activities, Zelda loved exploring Castle Town. She had grown up with her wealthy father, Daphnes Harkinian, in the relatively secluded town of Lake Hylia, and as a result had little experience with independent city life. It was all rather new and fascinating for her, but she was still able to adapt quickly to life in the city. She relished the fact that she was now completely independent of her father. Even if it did mean money was tight and there were no servants to do the chores.
Zelda walked through the campus for several minutes in silence, enjoying the crisp and cool morning air. Fall was here. Showers of red and orange leaves floated lazily in the wind, gathering in clumps on the campus lawn. Zelda hated the hot, sticky days of summer and the rainy showers of spring, but she loved the winter months. The red and gold foliage of fall was beautiful to her, and the land of Hyrule seemed so peaceful covered under a blanket of snow in winter.
She strolled in contentment through the mostly deserted pathways until she came to Cremia's Bakery, a small eatery nestled next to the University's physics laboratory building. Malon had shown her the small café during their first week in college. Cremia was actually Malon's older cousin, so Zelda always got discounts whenever she visited. Through the front window of the shop, Zelda could see Cremia and her little sister Romani busily serving the dozen or so customers inside.
A tiny bell tinkled as she entered the bakery, announcing her presence. Cremia looked up in delight as she saw Zelda, and instantly delegated her current task to Romani.
"Zelda! It's been awhile, yes?" Cremia asked, giving her a warm hug.
"It's only been a few weeks Cremia," Zelda said, laughing as the red-head let go of her.
"You know what I said; you're always welcome here," Cremia said warmly. "Oh, and I suppose Malon is allowed here as well," she added playfully as she returned to the counter. "I imagine you're about to head off to classes, so I'll get you some food in short order. Anything particular?"
"Just some coffee and one of your raspberry tarts," Zelda said, appreciatively inhaling the scents of freshly baked goods wafting from the food rack. "You're the finest baker I know, Cremia."
"Really?" Cremia asked, beaming in gratitude at Zelda's praise. "Well, thank you so very much for your kind words!"
Zelda smiled and waited patiently as Cremia left to retrieve a freshly baked raspberry tart from the oven. Briefly glancing around the bakery, she saw Romani standing on tip-toes to push a cup of coffee over the counter to a young man who looked to be about Zelda's own age. He had lightly tanned skin and shaggy blond hair that fell casually over his piercing blue eyes. Definitely good looking, Zelda thought privately.
Almost as if he knew what she was thinking, he glanced up and gave her a discreet wink. Taken by surprise and mortification, Zelda hesitated before flashing him a timid smile and turning away with burning cheeks.
Goddesses, how awkward! She vaguely heard the man thank Romani and drop some rupees on the counter, listening to his footsteps as he walked away.
Her cheeks were still tinted pink when Cremia returned with her breakfast, plopping a coffee cup and a raspberry tart on the counter.
"It's on the house," Cremia said firmly, ignoring Zelda's protests and rupees. "Now get to class before you're late."
Realizing that Cremia wouldn't accept her blue rupee, Zelda pocketed her money and gave Cremia a grateful smile. "Thanks," Zelda said softly, smiling at the red-head. Scooping up her food in one arm, she waved to Romani and Cremia. "Take care!"
Cremia grinned and waved to her before turning her attention to other customers.
Sipping from her cup of coffee, Zelda walked out of the bakery, trying to balance her pastry, textbooks, and purse all in one arm.
"Need any help with that?"
Zelda almost spilled her drink in surprise. The man from earlier was leaning against the bakery wall, tossing his empty coffee cup into a nearby trash can.
"Erm… I'm fine. Thanks for the offer, though," Zelda said, painfully aware of the fact that her textbooks were about to slip from her grasp.
He ignored her anyways and grabbed the books, laughing. "It's not like I'm going to run off with your textbooks," he joked. "And don't worry; I'm not some creep who's going to mug you in a back alley."
Zelda was about to express her doubts when he flashed her a charming grin. She instantly felt her resolve waver. How could anyone ignore a smile that handsome?
"Okay," she said aloud, giving him a small smile and the benefit of the doubt. "I'm Zelda. What's your name?"
"Link Hylia," he said, tucking her books under one arm. "Ugh, psychology? That sounds like fun. Glad I'm not in college."
"You're not?" Zelda asked in surprise as they headed back to campus. "How old are you?"
"Eighteen. I was home schooled by my… uh... grandfather," he said after a moment of thought.
She heard the hesitation in his voice. "What about your parents?" She inquired.
"Dead," he said with a shrug. "I never knew them."
"I'm sorr-," Zelda began. He cut her off.
"You don't need to apologize. Like I said, I didn't know them." He gave her a faint smile and changed the subject. "So, how long have you been at Hyrule University?"
"Only for a few months. This is my freshman year, actually. I'm still getting used to living away from my dad."
"It must be tough."
"It's alright. My mom died when I was young, and my dad was consumed with grief. He buried himself with his work as a senator to occupy himself from his mourning, so I didn't see him much as a child. He provided everything I wanted but… I'm glad I'm living independently now. I never really felt free, if that makes any sense at all," she finished with an apologetic smile. "Sorry for that ramble."
"It's okay," Link said in amusement. "It helps to get things off our chest once in awhile."
"Yeah, but you're a complete stranger," she laughed, "And I'm pouring my life story out onto you."
He chuckled, a deep, warm sound which Zelda found slightly calming. They walked with each other in comfortable silence for several minutes, as more and more students began to trickle from dorms and onto university campus. Zelda stopped abruptly as they reached the building where her psychology classes took place.
"Well," she said, tossing her empty coffee cup into a trash bin. "Here we are."
Link handed back her textbooks, seemingly glad to be rid of their weight. "Have fun," he snickered, winking again at her.
"Yeah, because cognitive psychology is such a blast," she said sarcastically, reaching out to take her textbooks from him. His gaze lingered on her hands for several seconds.
"That's an interesting tattoo you have there," he observed coolly, as Zelda stowed her books beneath one arm.
"It's a birthmark," Zelda said, unconsciously rubbing the faint triangular marking on the back of her left hand. It had been there ever since she could remember, although she disregarded it as nothing more than a peculiar birthmark.
"Really?" Link raised his eyebrow in apparent interest. "May I have a closer look at it?"
Although she didn't know why, Zelda hesitated before extending her hand out to him. He reached out and gently rubbed the mark with his gloved fingers. She felt a sudden jolt like electricity run through her body and almost jumped in shock. He quickly released her hand as if realizing what he had done, with a satisfied smile on his face.
"Pretty cool," he said simply, as Zelda withdrew her hand and felt it. There was a slight prickling sensation where he had touched her. Not painful or unpleasant, but strange.
"Well," he said, breaking into her thoughts, "I suppose class is about to start soon?"
Zelda nodded numbly, still rooted to the spot. He gave her another handsome smile. "Maybe I'll see you around sometime?"
"Yeah… maybe…," Zelda said softly. "It was nice meeting you... Link."
"The pleasure was all mine," he said courteously, gazing at her with his piercing cerulean eyes one last time before turning around and walking away. She watched him go for several seconds, before slowly making her way to class, still thinking about the morning's surprises.
"So, what happened?"
Link didn't even bother searching for the speaker. If Impa wanted to remain hidden, there was no point in trying to find her.
"I talked with her," he replied simply, lounging against a wall in a back alley. One of the shadows in the dimly lit alley detached itself from the wall, shaping itself into the form of a middle aged Hylian woman with steel gray hair and luminous red eyes.
"And?"
Link gave Impa a cheeky grin. "I was right. She's the person we've been looking for."
Impa narrowed her eyes at Link, who pretended not to notice her expression. "We're not telling this to Rauru just because you have a hunch. We need solid evidence."
"I know," Link said, carefully stripping off the black glove on his left hand. The darkness of the alleyway receded quickly as it gave way to a pulsing golden light that seemed to emanate from Link's hand.
"By the Goddesses…," Impa whispered, as her eyes adjusted to the sudden expansion of light. The golden triangles on the back of Link's hand were all glowing gently, pulsing with a steady beat as if they possessed a life of their own. They exuded an aura of power, majesty, and strength from their brilliant radiance.
"She had the mark of the Triforce on the back of her hand," Link explained, gazing absentmindedly at the golden emblems on his own hand. "It had to be the mark of the Triforce, otherwise mine wouldn't have reacted with hers, would it?"
Impa nodded slowly, too shocked to speak. This just seemed too good to be true. After so many years of fruitless searching… "You didn't tell her…?"
"Not yet. I think the shock of our Triforces reacting surprised her, so I didn't think it was wise to continue." Link slipped his glove back on, causing the light in the alley to cede back to darkness.
"Still," he continued, "I think it's enough evidence, at least for now. We've still got some time left." He looked up and grinned at Impa. "So. Are we telling Rauru, or what?"
For once, Impa returned his smile, the barest traces of excitement flitting across her scarred and worn face.
"Let's go."
So there's Chapter 1! Ooh, suspenseful! How'd you like it? Chapter 2 will be up in a week! Comments/constructive criticism is always welcome!