AN: This is my first Zelda fic. I'm working on a DocWho fic as well but this one just popped into my head so I had to get it down.
Disclaimer: I don't own anything from the Zelda world. Sadly. I only own the OC. :) I did get some inspiration for my main from Parker from the TV show Leverage. If you've never watched that, seriously do it. Right now. Parker is one of the greatest characters on TV ever (in my opinion at least).
A young girl about 17 years old blew a piece of auburn hair out of her eyes. Sweat dripped down her temple as she continued to work open the vault of the bank she'd been staking out for the past week. Slipping past the security guards had been laughably easy and working around the security cameras had been even easier. Now she was at the vault, quietly working at the combination. This particular bank used an older model safe which she had cooed at cheerfully; nobody used the classics anymore.
A satisfying click made a delighted grin cross her face. She pulled open the door a sliver and slipped through. She immediately walked over to one of the safety deposit boxes and picked it open in seconds. Opening it revealed several thousand dollars in cash and a very large diamond. "Ooh, shiny," she whispered softly. She grabbed the diamond and shoved it into a pouch on her waist. Shoving the money into another pouch, she mentally counted how long she'd been in the vault.
"Five hundred and six seconds, total," she muttered to herself. With another sly smile, she locked up the box and slipped out of the vault. She shut it gently behind herself and swiftly made her way out of the bank. Once back outside, she grabbed a bag she had stashed in the alley. Inside was a black hoodie and some jeans that fit over her black leggings. She tugged the backpack over her shoulder and casually walked down the street away from the bank.
The walk back to her living space had only taken about 45 minutes. She called it a living space because that's precisely what it was. She'd been orphaned when she was little and after bouncing around foster homes for several years. The neglect in several of those homes had lead her to shoplift from stores to get food for herself and the occasional sibling. Shoplifting gave her a thrill but after awhile it had been too easy. She'd started pickpocketing at that point which had lead to her meeting her mentor. She'd unsuccessfully tried to pick the woman's pocket only to have a bruised wrist and a stern lecture about her technique.
The next several years were dedicated to learning the craft from the woman whose name, she found out later, was Sophie. Sophie taught her how to crack safes, taught her to case locations for a hit, and helped her learn a few different forms of martial arts which helped with dodging laser fields. Many people probably would have been horrified with how she'd been raised but she was perfectly happy with the situation.
Surreptitiously glancing around, she pulled a piece of wood that was haphazardly nailed up against a window and let herself into the dark warehouse. Going further inside, she walked up to the elevator and pushed the lever down. She tapped her foot idly as the elevator worked down several stories before stopping suddenly. Unfazed, she reached up her hands and pushed open the top of the cage and jumped up. Once on the top of the elevator, she shut the door and climbed through an open air duct. Crawling through, she ended up in a dark room and flipped down from the duct. With a hum she walked further inside and several lights started turning on.
Once the room was lit up she smiled at the sight of her current living space. A large bed was off to the side, a small makeshift kitchen was against the far wall, an entertainment area with all sorts of high tech gadgets, and her absolutely favorite: a series of pulleys and acrobatic gear. She was a big fan of heights so dangling in the air was how she preferred to be. Jumping off a fifty story building? Piece of cake.
She tossed the money on the table and pulled out the diamond, eyeing it intently. It was a fairly flawless six carat diamond so it was worth quite a bit. Not that she intended to sell it; she just liked diamonds. She shoved it back into the pouch and looked down at the money on the table. If she had to hazard a guess it was exactly ten grand, which was more than enough for her needs.
With practiced ease, she sorted the bills out into piles as she mentally counted how much she needed for multiple situations in the coming weeks. Once that was done, she grabbed several stacks and put them in various hiding spots around her place. She glanced at the time and saw that it was just past 6AM, which meant that she needed to head out to meet some people downtown. She rushed over to her sleeping area and changed into a pair of cream leggings with a black tunic. She brushed her auburn hair out of the ponytail so it fell around her shoulders and tugged on a long coat. She put a few stacks of money in concealed pockets in the lining of the coat and buttoned it up. Her outfit was complete with a crochet hat and some fitted, black leather boots.
Climbing back through the air duct was easy and in a few minutes she was back on the street.
With her hands shoved in her pockets, she walked down the street towards the seedier part of town. Most people avoided this area due to the gangs and near constant muggings. The only reason she was able to move around with ease was due to what she did for the area, specifically the homeless kids. Speaking of kids, she spotted one of the older ones leaning against a building. With a roll of her eyes, she walked up to him and leaned against the wall as well.
"What are you doing, Archie?" she asked curiously. The 12 year old kid looked up at her with a grin before turning his gaze back at the convenience store across the street.
"Nothing, Ava," Archie said hastily. She glanced at him with a flat look on her face. He shifted uncomfortably at her stare. With a snort, she grabbed him by the collar and hauled him around the corner. He let out a very loud squeak and struggled against her grip. "Hey! Lemme go!"
Once they were halfway down the block, she released his collar and put her hands on her hips. "I know a stakeout when I see one. You know better, Archie. If you need money or food, you just have to tell me," Ava said firmly but softly.
Archie scuffed his shoe on the ground shamefaced. "I know… I just… I wanted to see what it was like."
Her gaze softened, "You know that your sister depends on you to stay out of trouble, Archie. You're all she has. Come on, how about I get you something hot to eat. Hot dog?"
Archie nodded a bit reluctantly and they walked down street towards a hotdog stand.
An hour later, Archie and Ava were sitting in a park after consuming their hotdogs. They were chatting about what had been going on in the neighborhood since the last time Ava had stopped by a week ago.
"And James broke into an apartment and almost got caught!" Archie rambled excitedly. Ava smiled at his excitement.
"How is Gabrielle? You and the rest of the kids have enough warm clothes and stuff for the next couple of months?"
He scratched his nose idly. "I think so. Not sure though. Stuff goes missing, you know? More blankets would be nice. And Gabby is good. Still annoying but she's 9 so she can't really help it."
Ava chuckled and stood up from the bench. "Come on, mastermind. Let's go shopping."
Arms laden with a few bags each, the two of them made their way to an abandoned apartment complex. Once inside, they climbed the worn stairs to the second floor and opened the door to apartment 18. A small girl peeked around the corner upon hearing them enter. Ava smiled at her as she set down a few bags and the girl's eyes lit up. "Ava!"
"Hello Gabby. Come over here, I have something for you."
Gabby skipped over and Ava frowned slightly at the grungy look of the young girl's appearance. She needed to get by here more often especially given how bad Gabby was looking. She pulled out a fresh set of clothing and some body wash, handing them to the young girl. Gabby frowned at the body wash and looked up at Ava with puppy dog eyes.
"Do I gotta?"
"Yes, you gotta. Now move it, missy. I didn't get that plumbing fixed so you could avoid it like the plague."
Gabby pouted and marched into the bathroom. Ava sighed and started unloading the groceries she'd purchased for them. She glanced around the dirty apartment with a confused look as she turned to Archie.
"Where's everyone else?"
Archie put away the milk as he spoke to her, "The others are probably out begging on the street. None of us expected you for another week."
She chewed her lip and felt a wave of guilt sweep through her. She honestly did try to stop by as often as she could but she had been distracted by a few art galleries. And that bank. And that auction house. She shook away the pleasant thoughts of her recent heists and focused in on Archie again.
"Sorry that I didn't come by sooner. You guys do remember how to reach me if it's an emergency, right?"
"Yeah, of course. We all know, Ava."
"Good."
The two of them put away the remainder of the groceries and started digging into the other bags. Gabby came out of the bathroom few minutes later with her old clothes in her arms and wet hair. The three of them sat down and sorted through the clothes, setting aside pieces that they liked for themselves. They glanced up at the door when they heard talking and loud steps down the hall.
Four other kids of varying ages burst into the apartment all talking over the other. Ava smiled ruefully as they all spotted her and practically fell over themselves in an effort to smother her. With a laugh, she let herself be pushed over as they peppered her with questions.
"Whoa, okay! Slow down. I'll answer all of your questions later now grab something to eat if you're hungry and grab some new clothes from the piles."
They scattered and rushed about the apartment in a whirlwind of energy that only younger kids could have. She watched them with a fond smile and couldn't help but feel a kernel of warmth spread through her.
Things had slowly wound down as time passed and the kids were starting to head off to their respective beds. Ava said goodnight to Gabby and turned to Damien, who was looking at the ground shyly.
"Did you need to ask me something, Damien?"
Damien shook his head and pulled his hands out from behind his back, revealing a large feather. He handed it to her with a small smile. She took it and ran a finger over the edge gently.
"Thank you, Damien. It's lovely," she said as she inspected the feather. It was mostly white with the exception of the tip, which was a deep blue. She frowned as she tried to think of what type of bird in the city could possibly have such a feather but came up blank. Damien's face lit at her comment and he rushed off to the bedroom he shared with two other kids. Ava stood up and threw on her coat, putting the feather into one of the inner pockets. She quickly hid some of the extra cash she'd brought around the room in the places she'd shown a few of the older kids. Once she was satisfied, she left a note for them on the fridge and left the apartment.
She shoved her hands deeper into her pockets as she walked down the barely lit street. She trekked through the inky darkness, making it a point to avoid the parts that were well lit so she could remain unseen. She took a swift turn into an alleyway and came to an abrupt halt upon spying a few guys lingering there. They spotted her instantly and started making their way towards her with confident swaggers. With a mental sigh, she tried to think if she'd met them before but realized fairly quickly that she hadn't.
"Hey baby, how about we play a game?" One of them sneered at her. The other one laughed darkly as he pulled out a knife. She looked at them both with a bland look.
"You must be new in town," she stated bluntly.
"And you must be our welcome to the neighborhood surprise!" the guy who seemed to be the designated leader of the duo crowed out. He also pulled out a knife and waved at her menacingly. "So be reasonable, sweetheart."
She sighed dramatically and pulled her hands out of her pockets. "Look, I'll give you an opportunity to walk away. The people who run this neighborhood have deemed me untouchable."
The two soon to be dead men looked at each other and burst out laughing. Ava continued to stare at them as they dug their own graves deeper. The one that was closest to her lunged in an attempt to grab her but she sidestepped and shot her hand towards his throat sharply. He doubled over, clutching his throat with his free hand and she took the opportunity to twist his wrist. He let go of the knife with a pained gurgle and she flung the knife away.
The second goon growled at her but approached more cautiously. She shoved the first guy to the side and swept out her leg to knock the second guy to the ground. He jumped back and swiped at her, grazing her arm which in turn caused her to hiss out in pain. He sneered and lunged again. She danced out of the way this time and struck out hard with her fist into his kidney. He groaned in pain at the hit but still continued to swipe at her with the knife. She dodged his pathetic attempts gracefully and after several seconds, she saw an opening and took it.
She slipped past his outstretched arm as he thrust the knife at her and got in close to him. He didn't see the knee to his groin coming and as he was crying out in agony she took the opportunity to punch him hard in the face, knocking him out cold. She slowly turned back to the second guy who was just barely catching his breath.
"You should have just walked away," she said in amusement. A hard roundhouse kick rendered him an unconscious heap on the ground. She silently surveyed the two men before letting out a huff of irritation. She'd have to inform the man in charge about a few new players in the neighborhood and he'd be less than pleased. Shrugging, she walked out of the alley and made her way towards the lone phone booth the next street over. Popping in a quarter, she dialed the number and waited for someone to answer.
"It's me. Some company has shown up. Check the alley behind the 42nd Avenue salon. The kids are taken care of for another week. Send someone to make sure they stay out of trouble."
Having said her piece, she hung up the phone without waiting for a response. Shoving her hands in her pockets once more she continued her walk to her place, humming to herself softly.
Back at her place, she threw off her hat and the coat into a pile on the floor. Letting out a big yawn, she ambled over to the fridge and pulled out a cold piece of pizza to eat. She sat on the table and sleepily ate the food in a few bites. The last time she'd slept was almost 36 hours ago so she was overdue for a good sleep. Her eyes popped open as she suddenly recalled the feather that little Damien had given her. Heaving a sigh, she shuffled back to her coat to dig around the pockets for it. Letting out a soft ah-ha, she pulled it out and looked at it closely again. She still couldn't figure out what bird this could have come from. It was far too big to be from native bird and she was positive it was a real feather.
With a careless shrug, she twirled it in her fingers and climbed into bed. The moment her head hit the pillows she was sound asleep with the feather still clutched in her hand. Had she been awake, she would have seen the feather start to glow softly with golden light. A bright flash of light burst from it and she was gone. The only thing left was the feather that gently floated to the floor.
The first thing she noticed as she started to wake up was the smell. The air was pure and sweet and so very unlike how her place smelled. She rubbed her nose with her palm as she frowned. Rolling over, she started to open her eyes but winced as the sunlight burned them. Letting out a soft gasp she whipped herself up and pulled her eyes open. Her jaw dropped at what she saw.
She was clearly outside, although how the hell she got there was a mystery. The sky was a crystal clear blue and large clouds drifted by. Her heart started to pound furiously as she continued to look around. Ok, calm down, Ava. Remember what Sophie always says. Evaluate. Plan. Panic later. She took a deep breath and slowly let it out as she focused her mind. Standing took a bit of an effort as her legs were shaking violently despite her attempt at calming down.
She looked around at where she was and grew more confused. There was a giant statue of what she assumed as an angel to her left and a few trees around her. She saw what she assumed to be a cliff and cautiously walked to it to look down. Her jaw dropped as she saw nothing but clouds and open air. With wide eyes, she continued her gaze and saw that she was on a series of seemingly floating islands with now ground below.
"What the hell?!" She screeched. She put her hands to her the sides of her head and barely suppressed a scream. She froze when she felt something strange on her head. With a shaking hand, she traced her ears and found them to be pointed. "Okay, panic now," she croaked. The reality of the situation came crashing down on her head and for the first time in a long while she had no idea what to do.
The sound of laughter and talking had her crouching down behind a tree with her hand over her mouth to prevent panicked gasps from escaping.
"Can you believe that the anniversary is just a few days away?" A female voice asked excitedly.
"I know, it's going to be a great celebration. The Wings Ceremony should be extra special. I'm curious to see who wins," a male voice said contemplatively.
"Oh, I'm sure Link has it in the bag. Despite the constant bullying by Groose he is the most skilled."
The pair of them continued to talk about the ceremony as they walked to a wooden platform. Without any hesitation they both jumped off the edge. Ava gaped and rushed over to the edge expecting to see them falling to their imminent death. Instead, she watched as two giant birds caught them in midair and they flew off. She fell over in shock as she silently watched them disappear into the sky. "This can't be real," she muttered.
Blinking a few times didn't dispel the world in front of her. All she could do was sit dumbstruck by everything she'd seen thus far. A shadow crossing over her was the only thing that drew her attention away from her frantic musings. Looking upwards, she shielded her eyes to try to figure out what had caused the shadow but couldn't see anything. She shook her head, convinced she was imagining things. The only indication of her ambush was a soft flutter of wings and suddenly a large bird was in front of her, chirping curiously.
With a yelp she fell backwards. Her eyes widened as the bird looked down at her with a happy noise. She crawled away from the bird backwards and only stopped when her back hit a tree. The bird took a few steps closer to her and lowered its head so they were staring at each other. They stared at one another in complete silence when an amused voice came from behind.
"It's called a Loftwing."
Ava mentally cursed her inattention and looked around the tree to spot the owner of the voice. A young woman with blonde hair and a pretty face was smiling at her and the Loftwing. Ava quickly assessed the woman and determined her to be non-threatening.
"You're not from around here. I know everyone in Skyloft but you're new. I'm Zelda! What's your name?" Zelda asked curiously with a kind smile.
Ava opened her mouth, completely prepared to lie to Zelda and give her a fake name but the look in her eyes was so sincere that she hesitated. She wasn't one to trust easily but this woman… There was something about her that seemed so pure and honest which was incredibly rare. Ava made the decision to use her real name in hopes that maybe she could get some help out of here.
"I'm Ava. So how do I get this, Loftwing, to leave me alone?"
Zelda let out a twinkle of laughter and stepped towards the large bird. "It's chosen you. I've never seen it happen, actually. A Loftwing bonding with someone when they're our age. Usually there is a ceremony when we're children to complete the bonding."
Ava frowned in confusion. "Bonding? I have no idea what is going on."
Zelda's smile drooped slightly. She pat the bird on the neck and it let out a coo before taking off. Turning to Ava, she stretched out a hand to help her stand. Ava took the hand extended to her hesitantly and once she was standing, she brushed off the stray grass the was clinging to her outfit. Zelda eyed her outfit with interest.
"Your clothes... They're very similar to the uniform that the knights wear. Are you a knight in your land?"
Ava blinked and looked down at her outfit. Her lips twitched in amusement at the very thought of being a 'knight.' She looked up at Zelda and shook her head. "No, I'm not a knight. I'm uh, in acquisitions," Ava finished slowly.
Zelda cocked her head to the side, "Acquisitions? I'm not sure I'm familiar with such a thing. What do you acquire?"
Ava snorted in amusement, "Oh, this and that."
Zelda continued to frown but let the comment slide. "All right. Well, since you're new around here, I should take you to my father. He's the Headmaster of the Knight's Academy." Zelda gestured for her to follow and the pair started walking towards the statue and down a wooden bridge.
Ava followed Zelda silently as her mind raced in an attempt to figure out what she was going to do. The panic she'd been suppressing kept trying to force itself out but she kept squashing it resolutely. Her eyes darted around as she took in everything around her. There were so many open and bright spots in the small, floating town which was relatively disappointing. Sneaking around would be a bit of a trial. Her eyes lit up at the thought of testing her skills in that regard.
Zelda lead her to a door to a building and tugged it open. They walked inside and Ava instantly assessed the locks on the doors as well as all potential exits. The locks were pitiful from what she saw from a brief glance and the windows could be easily opened. Either these people had no idea that security was important or they were so trusting that they had no fear of theft. She was inclined to go with the latter given how forthcoming Zelda appeared to be.
They reached another door and Zelda knocked once before opening it. A man thin man was inside talking to a much larger gentleman. Ava had to bite her lip to prevent the laughter from escaping at the bigger man's eyebrows. She was going to be in serious trouble if more people looked as ridiculous as this guy. The other guy looked much more normal if you ignored the pointed ears. Both of the men turned towards the girls as they entered. Zelda gave them both a cheerful smile.
"Hello, father. Hello, Instructor Owlan. I'm sorry for interrupting but I need to speak with my father about something urgent."
Owlan nodded to her, "Of course. The Headmaster and I were just finishing up." Owlan padded silently out of the room, giving Ava a curious glance as he left. Zelda stood next to the large desk as her father focused in on the two of them.
"My dear. Who is that behind you?" Zelda's father asked.
Zelda gestured to Ava who stood awkwardly behind her. "Father, this is Ava. Ava, this is my father, Gaepora. As I said before, he's the Headmaster here." Ava nodded politely as Zelda continued. "Father, I found her out by the Goddess's Statue. A Loftwing seems to have chosen her but she isn't from Skyloft.
Gaepora's eyes widened as he looked at Ava. "Zelda, would you leave us please? I wish to speak to Ava alone."
Zelda looked surprised but nodded. She turned and smiled at Ava reassuringly before she left the room. Ava looked around the room curiously. She spotted several spots where valuables could be hidden and locked in the information away in her mind.
"Ava, now, how about you tell me how you came to be here? Your clothes are reminiscent of our Knight's clothing but not exactly," Gaepora said softly as he sat at his desk.
Ava plopped down in the seat in front of the desk and finally turned her gaze to him. She noticed his jaw drop slightly when she made eye contact with him which caused her to raise an eyebrow. "Yeah, Zelda mentioned my clothes. This is just what I threw on, it's nothing special. As for how I came to be here..." she shrugged and trailed off as her mind turned to the events of her day that lead up to waking up in the field.
Gaepora coughed slightly to hide his shock. "Yes, I see. Interesting… I wonder…" He stood up and walked over to the bookshelf. After searching for a moment, he found what he was looking for and pulled out an old tomb. Flipping it open, he started mumbling to himself as he read various passages.
"I would say that it's safe to say that you're not from Skyloft. I would even go as far as to say that you're not from this world at all," Gaepora said as finally found the passage he was looking for. "Yes, here it is." He turned the book and pushed it towards her as he gestured towards it.
Ava frowned and leaned forward. She looked at the text for a moment before shaking her head. "I don't understand a word of that… What language is that?"
Gaepora hummed, "It's the language of the Goddess. Skyloftians can all read it and it confirms my belief that you are not of this world. I will read this passage to you as I believe it is relevant." He pulled the book back and cleared his throat. "And the arrival of the chosen hero will be sparked by the arrival of another not of this world. One who is destined to aid the chosen hero in all things. Blue and green will mark this chosen and a Sky Guardian will sing joyfully. Turn not this one away for the hero cannot succeed without his second half."
Ava blinked cluelessly as Gaepora finished the passage. "And that has what to do with me?"
He shut the book and folded his hands. "Your eyes. One is blue and the other is green."
"Yeah, it's just a weird genetic thing. So?"
Gaepora sighed. "The reference of blue and green marking the second chosen. I believe it speaks of you. From what Zelda spoke of, a Loftwing has bonded with you which in any other circumstance I'd say is completely impossible. All of these circumstances indicate that you are to aid the chosen hero and the he will soon arrive, which is troubling news."
Ava continued to stare at him blankly. "Right… So do you have any idea on how I can get home?"
"Home? But you cannot leave! If the chosen hero cannot succeed without his second half and you are indeed the person in this passage, then you must remain here," Gaepora said firmly. Ava opened her mouth to protest but he held up a hand. "Even if you are not the one in this passage, I have no idea how to even begin to get you back. It will take quite a bit of research and even then, it may not be possible. For now, I will offer you a room at the academy and I'll hear no arguments."
Ava's mouth closed with an audible click. Her eyes narrowed on the large man and she swallowed down the anger that made her want to scream at him. "But if you find a way, you'll tell me? You'll help me get home despite your little fairytale?"
Gaepora nodded absentmindedly as he walked around his desk. "Yes, yes, of course. Now, how about I show you to your room and get you settled. I believe you'll fit in quite nicely here. Tell me, did you have a job as a knight in the land you're from?"
Ava rolled her eyes but followed him out of the room, "No. Not at all." She let out an annoyed huff and muttered softly to herself, "Complete opposite in fact."
"Hmm? No? Well, no matter. We'll start testing your skills in the morning. Ah, here we are!"
Gaepora opened a door and ushered her inside. She glanced around disinterestedly at the room. There was a bed in one corner and a desk in another. A large wardrobe was next to the desk but other than that, the room was essentially bare. She let out a soft sigh as Gaepora rambled on.
"I'll have Zelda bring you some clothes if she has some that will fit you. We'll also have you measured for some clothes of your own so you're not forced to wear clothes meant for someone else. Supper is in a few hours so relax for a bit up here until Zelda arrives. I would like you up and in the training hall next door tomorrow morning. Don't be late and ask Zelda for directions. I'll leave you now. And Ava? Welcome to Skyloft."
Gaepora closed the door as he left the room. Ava stood in the middle of it and slumped her shoulders. She still didn't understand what was happening and Gaepora was all too quick to brush off her desires to get home. She shuffled forward and sat on the edge of the bed, surprised that it was fairly comfortable. With an annoyed sigh, she fell back onto the bed and stared at the ceiling.
"What have I gotten myself into?"