Hellooooooooooooooooo my friends! Here is me first Legend of Zelda/God of War Crossover! Been wanting to do something like this for a while!
Disclaimer: I do not own anything related to Legend of Zelda or God of War.
WARNING: This will contain graphic violence. Reader Discretion is advised.
ENJOY!
Hyrule Castle
Within a well decorated bedchamber in the Hyrule Castle, a lone figure laid under the covers of the king sized bed. This was Zelda, Queen of Hyrule. Zelda was more than relieved to retreat to her bedchamber for the day. The endless Council meetings, reviewing treaties and contracts have taken quite a toll on her. But little did Zelda know, fate had decided that she would not have a peaceful sleep, as a horrible vision plagued her mind.
She stood on a field, stretching out as far as the eye would have seen, if it was not for the fierce battle taking place around her. Men in armor clashed with barbarians wearing simple fur clothing. Dark clouds covered the sky, the ground was red with blood. Zelda stared with horrified wide eyes at the carnage around her. Blood curdling screams echoed throughout the field as the armored men were mercilessly slaughtered by the barbarians.
The scene unfolding before Zelda reminded her of what happened in her throne room, the day Zant and his Twilight forces overwhelmed the Hyrule Royal Guard and when Zant forced Zelda to surrender. But that event paled in comparison to the horror around her.
Tears threatened to spill from her eyes, and she shook her head in a pleading manner. "No, please! I do not wish to see this any longer!" She cried out, unable to watch this bloodbath any longer.
A deep laughter rumbled behind her. Startled, Zelda spun around and gasped. On the ground, a man with a tan complexion, a scar over his right eye, and a red tattoo on the left side of his head going downward, was lying on his back. Standing before the man, was another barbarian, wielding a large, wooden, spiked hammer. He wore a feral and bloodthirsty smile as he raised the hammer high above his head. "Any last words, General of the 'mighty' Spartan army?" The barbarian taunted maliciously.
The General glared daggers at the barbarian. He then looked around to take in the sight of his fellow Spartan brothers dying at the hands of the barbarians. Then suddenly, to Zelda's confusion, the man shot a hand into the air and bellowed to the heavens, "ARES! DESTROY MY ENEMIES AND MY LIFE IS YOURS!"
"Ares?" Zelda whispered aloud. "Who is this Ares?" She assumed this Ares was a god, given how this man was shouting to the sky.
As if to confirm her answer, the skies cracked open, and thundered rumbled loudly. A vortex swirled in the sky. The fighting around Zelda had ceased, both sides looked up to the sky, and what came out of the vortex shocked Zelda to the very core.
A massive man slowly descended out of the portal, and his landing caused a quake. Zelda stared with wide eyes as she took in the features of this giant, who she could only assume was Ares.
His upper body was covered in bronze armor, his shoulder plates were morphed in the shape of a three headed dog, a kilt made of iron, shin and arm guards wrapped in chains. But the one feature that stood out to Zelda the most was his hair. His head hair and beard were flames.
Zelda felt greatly unnerved. Even in this terrible nightmare, she could sense an aura of malevolence radiating from Ares, reminding her too much of Zant and Ganondorf.
Ares stared down at the one who had called for his assistance. The man was on all fours, bowing deeply, as a sign of respect. The man then rose, but remained on his knees. "My life, is yours, Ares. From this day on, I shall carry forth your will."
Ares stared at him for a few moments, then a sinister smile crept across his face, sending shivers down Zelda's spine. "VERY WELL, KRATOS." More shivers went down Zelda's spine when Ares spoke. Once again, the images of Zant and Ganondorf flooded her mind.
Ares raised his hands and fire started to gather in them, then a powerful shockwave boomed across the battlefield. The barbarians were being killed off. Some of them were set ablaze, others clutched their heads in agony before they exploded in crimson. Others levitated into the air and were twisted and torn apart. The Princess of Hyrule came to the horrible realization that Ares was far more powerful than even Ganondorf.
Zelda couldn't take it anymore. She wanted nothing more than horrible dream to end, but it seems fate was not on her side. "NOW, KRATOS." The sound of Ares' voice brought Zelda's attention to Ares and the man apparently called Kratos. "NO MERE MORTAL BLADE WILL SUIT THE NEWEST APPRENTICE OF THE GOD OF WAR. YOU WILL WIELD WEAPONS OF MY CREATION. YOU WILL WEILD THE BLADES OF CHAOS."
A massive wall of fire formed behind the God of War, and bone chilling shrieks and screeches ripped into Zelda's ears as two winged creatures emerged from the fire, flying toward Kratos. Zelda's attention was to the one clutching two items in its sharp talons…
The Blades of Chaos.
The two twin blades were unlike any weapon Zelda had ever seen before. Chains attached to the hilts of both weapons, and said hilt was in the shape of some deformed creature Zelda could not identify. The actual blades strutted out of the maw of the creature, jagged with a deep sliver.
The creature holding the two demonic weapons dropped them and, as if they were sentient, the blades darted toward Kratos, who held his arms held out. Like snakes, the chains attached to the hilts coiled themselves around the man's arms, glowing a bright orange. Kratos unleashed a scream of pure agony as the chain links seared into his flesh, a permanent reminder of his pledge to his new master. Zelda was horrified. People would do anything for the price of victory, even if it cost them great pain.
Once the chains had cooled, Kratos' sudden facial expression shocked Zelda. The man was wearing a defeated look a few minutes ago, and now, his face was one of pure rage. It was as if his newly acquired weapons had given him some other worldly strength. Kratos pulled on the chains and they latched out far. Zelda was shocked by how far they could reach. The barbarian king was ruthlessly decapitated, his head flying into the air as blood sprayed out, landing on what was once his great army.
"WELL DONE, KRATOS." Ares boomed in satisfaction. "NOW, GO FORTH IN MY NAME. DESTROY ALL WHO STAND IN OUR WAY OF CONQUEST."
"By your will, Lord Ares." Kratos bowed, tightening his grip on the Blades of Chaos.
What Zelda saw next would haunt her for years. She was being transported place to place, watching in horror as Kratos ruthlessly and mercilessly slaughtered innocent people in cold blood. She came to another horrible realization that Kratos was worse than Zant and Ganondorf. The two usurpers were evil, yes, but they had methods to their madness. Kratos seemed bent on blindly obeying Ares' every command, causing death and destruction everywhere he went in the name of the God of War.
Zelda then suddenly found herself in a village with a temple in the middle. She turned around and gasped. Kratos stood before a large battalion of men, the Blades of Chaos sheathed on his back, clutching a torch in his right hand.
"They built this temple to offer prayers to Athena! This entire village stands as an affront to Lord Ares! Burn this village! BURN IT TO THE GROUND!" Kratos shouted before tossing the torch into the air and the grass was instantly set ablaze. The scene that unfolded before her made Zelda sick.
No villager, not even children, were spared from Kratos' men. Blood curdling screams ripped into the air, the ground was stained with red. Zelda watched in disgust as Kratos walked up to the temple when he suddenly stopped. The Queen of Hyrule was dumbfounded. She had expected Kratos to kick down the doors and slaughter anyone inside, but he simply stood there, as if something was warning him not to step inside.
"Beware, Kratos." A voice warned. Zelda turned to the direction and her heart skipped a beat when she saw an old woman approaching Kratos with no fear. "The dangers of the temple are greater than you know."
The warning fell upon deaf ears as Kratos pushed the old woman aside and walked up to the temple, unsheathing the Blades of Chaos from his back.
Zelda then found herself standing within the temple. She looked to the doors just as Kratos kicked them open, his demonic blades in hand. No one was spared from his terrible wrath. The Blades of Chaos swung through the air, slicing into anyone caught in their dangerous reach. Blood splattered against the wall and floor. Zelda began feeling hatred for Kratos. He was no different than Zant and Ganondorf. Little did she know, her hatred for him would lessen greatly.
She watched as Kratos stared at the bodies of the final victims. She became shocked when the Blades of Chaos slipped out of his grip, falling to the floor with a metallic clang, as he dropped to his knees.
Laying lifeless before him… were the bodies… of his own wife and daughter. Slain by his own hands, their blood wet against his skin. Kratos cradled the lifeless body of his wife in his arms. "M- my wife, my child, how? They were left in Sparta." He croaked brokenly.
Zelda's initial disgust for Kratos turned into some sympathy. Knowing that one has slain their own family can take a massive toll on someone.
Suddenly, a nearby fire came to life. Kratos and Zelda turned their attention to it, and the visage of Ares stared back at Kratos. "YOU ARE BECOMING ALL I HOPED YOU'D BE, KRATOS." The God of War said in praise. "NOW WITH YOUR WIFE AND CHILD DEAD, NOTHING WILL HOLD YOU BACK. YOU WILL BECOME EVEN STRONGER! YOU WILL BECOME DEATH ITSELF!"
A horrible realization washed over Zelda. Kratos' wife and child were not here by chance. Ares had arranged this, somehow transporting them here, to have Kratos kill them, severing what little humanity he had left.
Zelda found herself outside as Kratos stepped out of the burning temple. He came to stop, his body shaking. He then looked up at the sky and roared, "ARES!"
The same woman from earlier approached Kratos, a dark scowl on her face. "From this night forward, the mark of your terrible deed will be visible to all. The ashes of your wife and child will remain fastened to your skin, never to be removed." She hissed as she waved her hand.
Zelda watched as a cluster of white particles surrounded Kratos before latching onto him, changing his tan skin to a moon white, but the red tattoo remained unchanged. His sins are now visible for all to see, a reminder of the monster he had become.
Kratos unleashed a bellowing roar of pure rage, pain, hatred, and agony.
The Ghost of Sparta has been born…
Zelda bolted upright in her bed, sweat covering her body and she breathed heavily. It took her few minutes to get her breathing under control, but even after she had accomplished that, she was still shaking. That horrible vision was still having its effect on her. The image of Ares' malevolent form and the flashes of Kratos swinging his demonic blades were seared into her mind.
But one question plagued her mind. Why did she have a vision of this horrible event? Knowing sleep would probably not come to her, Zelda climbed out of bed and walked toward the balcony doors and opened them. The cool breeze of night instantly greeted her as she walked over and leaned on the balcony overlooking the gardens, doing her utmost best not to think of that terrible dream.
Thank you for reading! Until next time, have an awesome day!