(A/N) I've been in a Legend of Zelda mood for a while now. That's why I haven't been working on my Final Fantasy story very much. But I haven't abandoned it. I know where it's going. I just don't feel like writing it right now. But I've had the idea for this story for a while now and never really got around to starting it. I wasn't even going to write it at all but I told my friend about it and she said to go for it and that she'd read it. She also said she'd like to read a story where Link turns evil and joins up with Ganondorf. (Disturbing right?) But I'm not gonna right that one. Not that I could. I like happy endings too much. Sad endings where the evil guy wins make me feel angry. Anyway! I'm not saying that this could happen. I'm not ignorant to all things in the LoZ universe. Like everything else fan based I do, I research things thoroughly beforehand. It's just a story that I'm hoping people will like.
The Nexus
When all was chaos, the goddesses descended and gave order and life to the world. They granted power equally to all who dwelt in the light, and then returned to the heavens. The lands where the goddesses descended came to be known as the Sacred Realm. It was in the Sacred Realm that the three goddesses left behind a symbol of their power, the all-powerful relic known as the Triforce, which when mastered in its entirety would grant the heart's desire of its holder. For ages people lived at ease, content in mind and body… But soon, word of the Sacred Realm spread through Hyrule, and a great battle ensued…
Now Link sat in the Sacred Grove before a strange stone door. The Hylian writing at the base of it read "Time Door". Or at least that's what he thought it said. The door itself was very old and weathered. He had to scrape off some of the moss growing over it just to make out "Tiae Zcor". Some of the letters hade been chipped away in places that made it look like nonsense. But it wasn't too hard to figure out what it should've been and correct it.
Now he was relaxing a bit before entering. Just a moment ago he had to fight five Shadow Beasts sent by Zant to stop him. The Shadow Beasts weren't something he had trouble dealing with however; Zant would have to think of a new trick if he really wanted to end his quest. Otherwise he was out of luck. Link could handle almost anything Zant could throw at him by now. And nothing was going to prevent him from collecting the fragments to make the Mirror of Twilight. Zant would be very sorry that he'd caused all this trouble; he'd make sure of that. The only thing that was troubling Link at the moment was what the Sages had told him at Arbiter's Grounds. Now this guy called Ganondorf was in the picture and apparently he'd been pulling the strings all along. And Midna could tell it was bothering him.
"I'm sure this Ganondorf guy isn't as powerful as they say." She said as an attempt of reassurance.
"He possesses the Triforce of Power, Midna." Link sighed. "He became renowned as a ruthless demon thief. The sages couldn't kill him. I am unsure of myself-"
"Don't be. It can't be too hard. I know you can do it." She had to say, even though she didn't fully believe it herself. Link was at a level where Zant couldn't bother him but just how much of this guy's power did he have? If Midna had to guess, it wasn't much. That could only mean that Ganondorf was twice as bad at the very least.
"I am filled with doubt but you don't have to worry. I won't give up. I'm the only one who can fight him, right? Why else was I born with this mark on my left hand?" He said removing his glove to stare at the triangles on the back of his hand; the one on the bottom right was darker than the other two, signifying that he possessed the Triforce of Courage. "It's funny." He replaced his glove and stood up. "Most people would be upset about this."
"Upset about what?" Midna asked as she followed him to the door.
"Well I was born with the crest of the Goddesses. That means my fate had already been decided for me. Most people, of my age especially, would be very put out or angry. But I'm… indifferent." He answered pushing on the door.
It wouldn't budge. He leaned in closer and pushed harder; it was an old door after all, it might've been stuck. He heard something shift causing some small rocks and dirt to fall down onto his head. But that wasn't the biggest surprise. Even though he'd pushed it, the door opened outward and hit his forehead before pushing him over.
"Ow…"
"Link! Are you alright?" Midna gasped as she floated down next to him to look. "It's not bleeding."
"I must be okay then." He answered getting back up.
"Are you sure you'll be alright? Does your head ache?"
"No. But I feel a bruise coming on." He laughed. "I'll be fine."
She looked at him a bit skeptically at first before nodding and returning to his shadow. She couldn't look at that cute little smile of his for long. Something had happened after they'd returned from the Lakebed Temple. Before he was nothing more than a pawn in her plan to overthrow Zant. Now he was endearing and she had to wonder if he'd always been or if she'd only just started to see it. She couldn't remember him ever getting short with her. Not even when she'd verbally abused him practically on a daily basis. Strange feelings form when a man does all he can to save your life but she hadn't gone that far yet. He only saw her as a close friend. She'd gathered that in some conversations they'd had and she could live with that. She'd have to. They came from different worlds; she couldn't allow herself those kinds of feelings. Not to mention the state she was currently in. Who could love an imp?
Link brushed himself off and looked back at the now open door. Everything looked grey and it was rippling like water. He stepped closer and poked it a few times. It didn't feel like water. And it didn't feel dangerous. He backed up and looked at the wrecked stone wall in front of the pedestal that had held the master sword. Then he looked back at the image in the doorway. It was the same wall but it looked new. And he couldn't see the forest at all. The building that once stood there was whole again. Cautiously, he walked through and kept an eye on his surroundings.
When he stepped inside he got a bit of a lightheaded feeling that quickly passed. The door shut behind him but he didn't worry. It looked as though it would open again. "This is… the past?" He asked aloud and though he didn't really expect an answer his shadow spun around and Midna sprang up in front of him. She looked a little concerned about something. "What is it?"
"Something doesn't feel right." She answered. "I know there has always been an evil presence in all the other temples but this one feels different. It feels more… just be careful."
"Of course Midna but do you see this place? It's so brilliant!"
"Link, I'm serious. Don't get too distracted by it. There's something here that shouldn't be." She said taking hold of his arm.
"I understand Midna. But you don't have to worry about me. I don't plan on dying here." He smiled.
"Alright." She let go of his arm but she didn't disappear. She wanted to be sure he didn't get too distracted and keep an eye out for danger. She was the only one he had to watch his back.
The fact that she didn't recede back into his shadow confused Link. She usually didn't stick around for long after putting in her two cents. 'This must be serious.' He thought as he continued on. 'If she's really that concerned I suppose I should be wary of everything in here.' But those thoughts were pushed back by the splendor of the temple once again. He couldn't help it. How many people could say they'd gone back in time? None that he knew. The building was so impressive. Not to say that the others he'd visited were dwarfed by it but they were usually dark and smelled of the many monsters inside. This one, however, was different from what he could see. It had many tall windows that let in the sun and the air was, admittedly a little musty, but it was so much better in comparison.
The room he was currently in was very bright due to the sunlight on the light tiles on the floor. And he was walking down the staircase that had been destroyed in his time. It led down to a rather large circular mark on the floor. The circle contained some sort of pattern but it looked like it was covered by a square with the symbol of the Triforce inside. He stepped into the middle of the three triangles and looked at the other two circles on the floor. They were still big but not quite as big as the one he was standing in and had the two stone guardians on top of them. He walked by them slowly but they didn't move. That was good. He hated their puzzle when he was a wolf.
"Doesn't the sunlight make this place feel welcoming?" He said with the sound of appreciation in his voice. "It feels so warm in here."
Midna didn't respond. She was too busy looking around at everything with suspicion.
Link looked the room over as well but not out of paranoia. He was just taking one last look before entering the next room. Once he was finished he turned and walked through the open doorway quickly. It took Midna a few moments to realize he had gone. And with a bit of a gasp she hurried after him through the door.
On the other side, Link had stopped and was staring again. He only noticed Midna was there when she bumped into the shield on his back.
"Are you hurt?" He asked watching her float back up to his level. She shook her head. "Look at this." He said gesturing and looking back at the new room. "Have you ever seen anything like it?"
It was the area where he'd first retrieved the Master Sword from its pedestal. But in this time it was just as beautiful as the previous room. Perhaps even more so. It had the same tiling and the sun shown through a skylight. But the most notable thing was the huge stained-glass windows surrounding it. The way the sun made the colors of the panes reflect onto the floor was something Link had never seen before. It was a sight that almost made his jaw drop. He stood there for a good two minutes before Midna gave him a gentle push forward.
Nodding, he walked up the steps to the pedestal and drew the Master Sword. Since the pedestal had so many other uses prior to this moment, striking it once more couldn't hurt. He gripped the hilt firmly with both hands and held it above him with the blade pointed down. After taking a moment to line it up he plunged the sword down with all his strength; the blade began to glow, showing him that his instinct had been correct. And a transparent stairway spread down to the floor behind the light that traveled upward into one of the glass windows.
"Midna…" Link said looking for her. "Did you see that?"
"Yes." She answered staring up at the window the stairs led to. Her bad feeling was getting worse. "Link. I think we should turn back." She said floating back towards the exit.
"I can't do that."
"This is too much for you. You're not ready for this yet." She argued.
"We need this piece of the mirror." Was all he said before heading up the stairs.
Midna thought for a moment before rushing after him. "Wait! At least don't go alone!" She called so he would stop and she could catch up. "You can try to find the mirror. But if it's too much do what you can to stay alive."
"It can't be that bad, can it?" Link looked confused. "Why would there be something so out of my league in here? That's not how all the other temples worked."
"I know. I told you it felt wrong. This thing is misplaced. I don't know how it got in here but it's there. I really think you should turn back."
"You already know my answer to that." He answered continuing up the stairs. Once he got past a certain point the glass window vanished and revealed a door. It was then that he started to feel something was amiss. But he ignored it and entered the temple nonetheless.
He came to what appeared to be the main room. It looked very similar to the previous ones in color but he couldn't tell where the light was coming from. Directly across the room from him was a large door that looked as though it wouldn't open. He took note of the solo statue to one side of the door. That had to mean that there was another one somewhere in the temple to go on the other side. He'd probably have to find it and bring it back somehow before the door would open. The next thing he noticed was a large stone canopy in the center of the room; although it actually looked more like a gazebo of some sort. It was held up by four stone pillars and contained an engraved brass device that resembled a bell.
"What do you think that is?" Link asked while walking up to it. He stepped underneath it and looked up inside only to find that it wasn't a bell. "It must serve for some other purpose then…"
"Get out of there!" Midna scolded pushing him to make him walk back out. "I told you to be careful."
"I was."
"What would you have done if that thing had fallen on you?" She asked.
"It wouldn't have hurt me. It's hollow on the inside." Link answered.
"Yes, but you would've been stuck in there and eventually ran out of oxygen."
"I figured you would've lifted it before that happened." Link shrugged. He began the first task of making the stairs reachable with the pressing of a button. "We're off to a good start." He said all but running up the stairs. "Let's hurry through this."
Link made his way through the temple finding no monster that was exceptionally strong. He'd made it to the room where the matching statue resided and earned the tool to move it with. The Darknut wasn't something he'd ever fought before but it wasn't out of his league. So now, with the help of the Dominion Rod, he was headed back to the main room with the statue in tow. Not soon after starting on his way back he stopped.
"What's the matter?" Midna asked.
"I just realized how I can get back to the main room without fighting any enemies." Link answered releasing the magic currently on the statue and standing behind it.
"What are you doing?"
"I'm getting a much more effective shield." He said bringing the statue to life in front of him. "Now I'll be able to kill all of those Gohmas so much quicker." He didn't have a problem with them himself but Midna appeared to hate them. Using the statue to not only protect himself but also attack anything and everything in his way he made it back to the main room in no time. He just had to go down the stairs to find the statue in the teleportation device that he'd discovered the bells were for. But he stopped at the top of the stairs.
The feeling he'd gotten when first arriving in this room had followed him through the temple. He'd ignored it like the nagging feeling people would get in the back of their mind but now it forced its way up front. It was a sense of some kind. Whatever it was, it was telling him how strong this thing was. 'Is this what Midna feels?' He wondered. Link fell to his knees and started gasping. He couldn't breathe. The air was so saturated with this evil power. 'It's suffocating!' Link thought. He didn't want Midna to be concerned about it but it wasn't as though she was blind. She'd already seen him fall. She was speaking to him but he was having trouble hearing her. His heart was beating so fast that the blood was roaring in his ears. 'This is bad.' He couldn't stand up. His body was frozen in that spot. Now Midna moved so he could see her. She looked panicked. Link still couldn't hear her but he could make out some of what she was saying by reading her lips. "I'm getting you out of here." Was what he put together. Though she'd said more than that, most likely the rest was her telling him that he should've turned back. Now she wasn't giving him a choice. He couldn't protest to that. And not only because he couldn't talk at the moment. This crushing presence was definitely too much for him to handle at his current level.
She floated back to prepare the warp tunnel but stopped and looked when the large stone door suddenly exploded. The blast was so powerful that some fragments of the door even made it up to the top of the stairs and the statue under the bell shattered. One large rock looked as though it'd actually been thrown directly at her. But she stood her ground; if she moved it would've hit Link. She extended her hair into a limb and caught the rock just before impact. Once the dust cleared at the base of the stairs and she saw where to aim she winged it around and threw it right back at the attacker.
The man at the base of the stairs simply outstretched his arm and an invisible force caused the rock to disintegrate. He continued upward until he found the hero on the ground. "What is this?" He asked. "The gods send this to oppose me?"
Link was trying to prop himself up but it was harder than before. Ever since the man came close the gravity felt as though it'd been dialed up. He did his best to get a look at the man; the increase in gravity wouldn't allow him to lift his head enough to see his face; he could, however, see his hands. There was a mark of the Triforce glowing on the back of his right hand; the top triangle shown deeper than all the others. This man had the Triforce of Power. 'Ganondorf!' Link's eyes went wide.
"Things are going a little faster than expected." He smirked. "So I decided, why not make an early appearance?" He took a step closer to Link but the second he'd moved Midna was there baring her fangs and glaring. This only seemed to amuse him.
"Stay away from him!" She growled. Her demand was ignored. He simply shrugged it off and sent her flying across the room to meet the wall.
"I had planned on this being a surprise for when you'd finally gotten that door open." His smile disappeared and he kicked Link as hard as he could. "But you couldn't even make it that far." He kicked him again and this time he heard ribs crack. "You're pathetic." He said picking the boy up by the collar of his shirt. "This is an insult."
'Get it together!' Link told himself over and over. 'You're dying idiot!'
He couldn't even get his legs to kick. But he did feel a bit of relief when Ganondorf threw him from the top of the stairs. It put some distance between him and the source of the evil power that had been hurting him almost as badly as Ganondorf was. The relief, however, ended when he hit the floor and continued to roll until he was back under the bell.
"Link!" Midna shouted from where she stood. She watched Ganondorf jump down and land on his feet before deciding she'd have to race over and fight him. She had to try and save Link, he'd do the same for her. As they both converged on the spot the bell started to lower down to the floor and covered Link by the time they got to him. The device took on a strange yellow glow before Ganondorf hit it with a mass of malevolent energy. The strike caused it to shake violently and then explode. She covered her eyes and listened for any indication that Link was alive. She heard nothing.
She cautiously opened her eyes and found that there really was nothing there. The brass plate where Link had been laying was empty. Even Ganondorf looked surprised. He'd expected a body to be there but it appeared as though he'd completely obliterated the boy by accident. That wasn't what he'd planned at all. Now he couldn't recover the Triforce until it reappeared in someone else. That was definitely a set back. It frustrated him so much that he picked up a scrap of metal and hurled it at the remaining statue, effectively beheading it. After that outburst he turned and stormed out, plotting his next move.
Midna's heart sank. "Link…?" She whispered. 'Is he really gone?'
)()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()(
Link couldn't see where he was. He was still lying on the floor in the Temple of Time as far as he knew. And he was still in a lot of pain. The pressure he'd felt was gone but he still couldn't breathe without what felt like a rib piercing his lung. "Gaaah…" He groaned while forcing himself to sit up. "That's something I don't want to repeat." He rummaged around in one of the pouches on his belt until he pulled out a bottle containing a fairy. "Think you can help me?" Link asked uncorking the bottle and lying back down. It wasn't the most comfortable thing to lay on the shield and sheath but it was better than sitting up and risking more broken bones.
The fairy flew over and landed lightly on his chest to inspect the wound. She then nodded gleefully and went straight work patching him up.
While she was finishing up with the ribs Link took the time to look around. He wasn't where he thought he was. This new place was hardly anything. There were no doors or windows that he could see. Yet the entire place was lit with beams of light that came from nowhere. The floor even looked like it was glowing blue. He was sitting in the middle of a Triforce pattern on the floor and was surrounded by tiles of varying colors. Turning to see each one he noticed that there were six of them: Gold, Purple, Orange, Blue, Red, and Green.
"Do you want me to take care of the bruises and scratches too?" The fairy asked.
"No. You've done enough and I thank you for that." He said standing up to stretch. "But do you know where we are by any chance?"
She shook her head. "Sorry."
"That's alright. You can go." Link answered looking up. "If there's a way out of this place…" The fairy nodded and took off and was soon out of sight. Apparently there was a way out for her. "Oh well. You can warp me out, right Midna?" He looked down at his shadow but nothing happened. "Midna?" Still nothing. "Midna, you need to tell me even if you can't." Now he was starting to catch on. "Midna you're here right?" His shadow didn't move. For the first time in a while his shadow was just his shadow. "I'm alone?" He gasped.
"It would appear so…"
"Who said that?" Link asked wheeling around on his heels to find the source of the new voice. What he found was a balding old man wearing an orange robe with a red collar. His mustache grew back and connected with his sideburns; his eyebrows also looked pretty funny, but Link would just keep that to himself. This elderly man looked very serious but he couldn't tell if he was friend or foe. "Who are you?"
"Calm down. I am Rauru, the Sage of Light."
"Sage of Light…?" Link didn't really know much about the sages. He'd only talked to them briefly once before. And they had looked more like ghosts than people. But he had to guess that being a sage meant you were trustworthy. "Where am I?" He asked sounding a little desperate.
"This is the Chamber of Sages, inside the Temple of Light."
"There's a Temple of Light?" He'd never heard of it. "Where's the Temple of Light located exactly?"
"The Temple of Light is located in the very center of the Sacred Realm-"
"This is the Sacred Realm?" Link blurted out looking bright eyed. "Who knew I'd actually get to go to the Sacred Realm!"
"I suppose you are technically in the Sacred Realm." Rauru said a bit surprised by the childish reaction. "But you will only ever see this chamber."
"Oh…" Link deflated slightly. "Okay." That was disappointing. But it was better than nothing. Link forgot about it and tried to focus. There were some things he needed to know. "Do you know what happened to me? Why am I here?"
"Ah, you can relax. You are not dead."
"I know I'm not dead."
"You were not concerned about that?"
"Nope."
"Oh. Well. I thought you would be."
"I figure the fairy would've told me if I were dead." Link shrugged. "That's not what I asked."
"Oh. Right… What happened to you…?" He seemed to have trouble figuring it out. "I believe you are the lad from the future…" Link just smiled and listened. He had no idea what Rauru meant about being from the future but the old man was the best source for finding some answers at the moment. "I see." He appeared to be figuring out what happened just by looking at Link. "Something went awry in your journey. Your destiny was to kill Ganondorf but he regained his power faster than anticipated. You were in grave danger in your time. Ganondorf would have taken the Triforce from you and then killed you. So the gods intervened and brought you to a place where you would be safe." He was still puzzled by something. "I do not completely understand the logic in sending you here…"
"Can Ganondorf find me here?" Link asked.
"I think not. But you cannot stay here. You need to continue to get stronger so you may go back and save your world." Rauru answered. He flicked his wrist and a blue crystalline barrier appeared around Link. "You need to venture out into the world and build up your courage."
"What?" That seemed pointless. He had the courage to face killer plants and stand mere yards away from lava. How much more courage would he need in order to fight Ganondorf? Once he'd found out about him he knew they would inevitably fight. And he felt that it wasn't too far off from where he'd been if everything had gone as expected. It couldn't take much more to be able to beat him. Was there really that much of a gap between the two of them in strength?
"You were paralyzed by his aura weren't you? Fear had a hand in that."
Link averted his eyes. 'It was more like being crushed than paralyzed' He thought to himself. Not that it made much of a difference. "So I need to completely banish my fears?" Link didn't think that was possible. He'd been afraid before. There were many things he'd seen that frightened him. But he had always cast away the consequences and done what he knew had to be done.
"You don't need to banish your fears. You just need to be able to work with them. The thing you need to banish is your doubt. That was the other factor in the paralysis you felt. Fear alone isn't the worst thing. But when fear and doubt are combined… the result leaves much to be desired." He flicked his wrist again and the barrier started to carry Link out of the chamber.
"Wait!" Link shouted. "Where's Midna?"
Rauru didn't answer. He didn't even look like he'd heard the question. All Link could do was watch Rauru shrink out of sight and vanish. There was then a bright light that caused him to shut his eyes. 'This must be some sort of warp.' He thought as he opened his eyes. The room had changed so it was safe to say his assumption was correct. He preferred Midna's way of warping. This way made him feel like he was submerged in water or stuck in a fish tank. He was very happy when the barrier disappeared and he was back on a solid floor. But this place wasn't one he recognized either.
He was still standing in the middle of the Triforce mark on the floor but now there was an empty pedestal in front of him. It kind of looked like the place where he'd gotten the Master Sword but it was slightly different. The first thing he noticed was that this room had no windows. There was just a skylight. He could also see that the tiles were still surrounding him but their color had faded to grey.
"Is this the Temple of Time?" He thought aloud. It still didn't look right but if he wasn't there then where was he? Having nothing better to do, he exited the room and only got even more confused. This next room didn't look right either. Its structure was the same as it should've been but instead of the stone guardians there was another pedestal. And this one wasn't empty. It contained three gems of some sort. He could see that there was an emerald, a ruby, and a sapphire. And he could see that they undoubtedly held some significance so he didn't touch them. He just continued walking.
This room was better than the last. He liked it when he could see the outdoors and this room had windows like it was supposed to. But it was still strange. It was too white for one. And the next thing was the checkerboard tiling on either side of the central path. And the Triforce mark that he'd been standing only a few hours ago was now further back towards the exit and on a raised platform. Not to mention the complete lack of a stairway and the absence of the Time Door. By now his curiosity had been piqued and he had to know why the temple had changed in appearance; so he walked passed the platform and headed out the door.
"This isn't Hyrule…" Link said looking at the new landscape. The temple didn't even look the same. It looked more like a cathedral with three steeples. That and it was very dark on the outside from a heavy layer of caked on ash. The ground was bare and the trees were dead. There was also an active, and very angry volcano in the distance. "What happened to the Sacred Grove?" There was no forest nearby. But he was still curious about this place. He took the path leading towards what looked like a town. 'Why would I be in Castle Town?' He wondered. 'This doesn't even look like Castle Town. It looks depressing.'
Once he got close enough he could see that it wasn't exactly a town. It was the remains of one, but it had been destroyed and there were no people around. "What happened here?" He asked stepping close to what looked like a mangled tree.
Luckily he noticed his mistake before he leaned up against it. The creature lifted its head and started to walk towards him with its arms reaching out to grab him.
"What the?" The thing wasn't something he'd ever encountered before. Its skin was dry and cracked so that it looked like bark. But now he could see that it was some sort of humanoid. In fact, it looked like a moving corpse. He couldn't tell if it was good or bad that it was wearing what he assumed was a mask. It only made what you saw of its face scarier. The eyes were hollow and the mouth was full of rotting teeth. And the entire area was full of them. But Link only concerned himself with the one still shuffling towards him. "Get away!" He shouted trying to move. The only thing he could manage was a step backward. His body was freezing up again but not to the same extent as it did with Ganondorf. There was a trick to this. He could sense it. It had to be something about the eyes. He couldn't stop staring into their emptiness. Its arm was still reaching for him; the boney fingers were inches away from his face. But when it took a step the hand moved over his eyes for a brief moment. That gave him the time to quickly close them and back away.
He thought he'd saved himself from whatever that thing was going to do to him but he backed right into another one. This one shrieked like the undead monsters in Arbiter's Grounds. Link found that he was paralyzed once again. 'No!' He felt the creature's limbs wrapping around him and one of its hands moving up to cover his mouth. Now he'd have to do a fair amount of struggling to get free even when the paralysis wore off. That was definitely something he was willing to do. He could see the first monster he'd encountered was still intent on catching him. It'd continued to chase him after he'd run away.
He screamed behind the hand when he felt teeth sink into his neck. 'They bite?' It hurt, but it seemed to shock him out of paralysis. He started to work on getting his arms free; something that would've been easy if he didn't panic but he did when the other monster put its hand over his eyes and forced his head back. 'No, no, no! Not two of them!' When this one bit him it felt like acid spread from the wound into his blood stream. 'Leaving the cathedral was a huge mistake…' He told himself while he continued to struggle against the two creatures. 'Get off me dammit!' He growled. But the monsters paid him no mind. His struggling slowed and he started to feel funny. It was as though they were draining his strength. He started to feel tired and it became difficult to keep his eyes open. He felt faint. And it was when he gave in to that feeling that he got the opportunity to escape. His knees buckled unexpectedly and he fell to the ground in an awkward movement.
The monsters didn't appear to know where he'd gone. He laid there very quietly for a few minutes and hoped for the best. Eventually the two monsters moved back to where they'd been standing before he'd disturbed them and he crawled over to the fountain in the middle of the square. Originally he'd wanted to use it to pick himself up but something told him he was safer on the ground. So he continued to crawl until he felt it was safe.
"I need help…" He breathed. It was very hard to stand. He felt as though he may be sick; there was no doubt that he was woozy. His head felt heavy and he staggered around a bit and wound up falling against a wooden door. "I need to find someone who can help me…!" He continued on over a broken drawbridge and out into the field before he finally fell back down. The wounds on his neck were still throbbing and seeping blood into his shirt. It felt like the creatures were still there. It even smelled like they were still there. The thought of that caused him to spill the contents of his stomach on the ground. He thought it'd feel good to get that out of the way but he felt even worse afterward. It made him feel even weaker and dizzier than before. 'I'm going to die, aren't I…?' Was his final thought before his vision hazed black and his consciousness slipped away.
He heard the crunch of someone's boots as they stepped along the grass. He opened his eyes slightly to see that someone was approaching him. It was a relief. But he fell back into darkness soon after catching a glimpse of the brown boots walking towards him.
"What happened to him?" Link's ears twitched at the sound. He could hear the noises that filled the room and he could feel that his wounds were barely noticeable now. He was conscious but he didn't want to wake up just yet. "Why didn't anyone come to me?" The person continued to ask angrily. The owner of the voice sounded like an elderly woman. "You asked that young man at the Medicine Shop, didn't you? That would explain the shotty work!"
"Granny please. There was no time." A younger woman answered. "He found him out in the field and brought him here as fast as he could. I intended to come and get you but someone said he could get really sick if it wasn't handled right then so…"
"It looks like he got sick anyway." Granny said bitterly. "He'd be awake by now if I'd handled it."
"I am a little worried." The girl sighed. "He's been unconscious for the past two days."
"And that's why you asked me to come and take a look, am I right Anju?" There was no spoken response. But the old woman moved over to the bed that Link was laying in. "I don't see anything."
"We bandaged him up Granny." Anju said quietly.
"I smell Blue Potion." Granny didn't appear to have heard Anju's statement. "Why is there Blue Potion?"
"He had some in a bottle when he found him and administered some to the wounds so they wouldn't get any worse." She answered. "Is he sick? He was bitten by two ReDead."
"A ReDead bite? Two?" Granny mused. "Feh… He's fine. He's just trying to regain the energy those creatures stole."
"Really? That's good." Anju sounded very relieved.
"Where's the one who brought him here?" Granny asked as she walked away.
"Still around town. He wanted me to get him when this young man woke up. I think he…" Anju's voice faded away after a door shut.
Link waited until he didn't hear their footsteps anymore before opening his eyes. He turned his head to look around at the room he was in. There were plain white walls and he thought he could see a hard wood floor. But the thing that was making the most noise in the room was the small boiling pot in the corner. He didn't smell anything coming out of it so it must've been water and nothing else.
He saw the other bed next to his and noticed it had many piles on it. Taking a closer look he saw that the other bed had his clothes laid out on it. He saw his belts, his armguards, his gloves, his chainmail, and his green hat and tunic. His boots, shield, and sword were leaned up against the wall in between the two beds. Since he didn't see his pants he felt his leg to find that he still had them on. 'That's a relief…' But he also didn't see his white shirt. He lifted up the blanket covering him to find that it was gone. "Where…?" He asked sitting up. He noticed his whole body felt a little stiff. "Geez. Was I dead?"
"If you had been brought here any later you could have been." Someone answered.
"Who are you?" Link asked looking around. 'What is with these people and sneaking up on me?' He didn't see anyone by the door. 'I didn't hear anyone come in' Soon the newcomer revealed themselves. She'd been standing in one of the corners of the room as Link took it. 'Why didn't I see her?' She was another woman but her age wasn't determinable. She had short white hair pulled back into a ponytail and red eyes. She didn't look like anyone Link had ever seen before.
"I'd like to ask you the same thing. But more importantly, what were you thinking going into the ruins of Castle Town?" Her expression reminded him of the look Midna would give him every time he'd done something foolish. "Everyone knows it's filled with those monsters."
"I…" He didn't know what to say. He honestly didn't know that those things were there. But that was only because he didn't know where he was. He was at a loss on what to do. Should he try and explain what happened or should he? He wasn't even sure whether or not he should give this woman his name.
"What exactly were you trying to prove?"
"I wasn't trying to prove anything. It was an accident." Link answered.
"An accident? You expect me to believe that you just bumped into one?"
"Well…" He rubbed the back of his head. "That is kind of what happened…" His face reddened slightly. 'I must sound really stupid right now.' But it was the truth. "I didn't know what they were." Link said having decided to explain things anyway. "I have no idea where I am. I got confused."
"What do you mean you don't know where you are?" She asked.
"I don't know the area. I was attacked by Ganondorf and then I was in that town, that's all I know." The woman looked surprised by that. "But I really need to know how to get back to my homeland becau-"
"Ganondorf attacked you?" She cut him off.
"Yes. He nearly killed me I guess. Then something happened and the next thing I knew I was here. I thought the monster was a tree." He sighed covering his face with his left hand. The woman stared at the back of his hand and went white. Link, not having noticed, continued to berate himself. "I know it was very stupid of me to think there'd be a tree in there but… I don't know. I'll certainly never make that mistake again."
"What is this?" She said grabbing his wrist. Now it was obvious to Link what she was talking about. Before he could even answer she started rubbing at it to see if it would come off. "This can't be real."
"What?" He couldn't understand why it was so unbelievable. "It's real. Why would it be fake?"
Her face wasn't readable. But her eyes showed him that she was thinking about something. "Never mind." She shook her head.
Both Link and the woman, who hadn't yet named herself, looked over at the door when Anju came back inside. She stopped at the doorway in shock. "Lady Impa? What are you doing here?"
"Just checking in on your patient." Impa answered. "He appears to be doing well."
"Do you really think so? Granny said he might be sick since he hasn't woken up yet." She was so busy bustling about that she hadn't noticed Link sitting there. She walked over to the pot and used some tongs to poke at whatever was inside. "That's better." She said lifting it out. It appeared to be Link's missing shirt.
"So that's where that went." Link's voice was a little on the loud side to get her attention. Anju dropped the tongs and spun around.
Her blue eyes were big and round out of surprise. "Oh my. You're awake?" She said with a very flustered look on her face. "I didn't notice. I'm sorry. How's your neck?"
"My neck feels just fine." It felt fine. He had no idea it if was fine.
"How long has he been awake Lady Impa?"
"Not long. I was just asking him a few questions." She answered. She then turned to Link with a warmer look on her face. "I apologize if it came across as more of an interrogation. Old habits die hard." Link shrugged at that. He wasn't one to hold a grudge. "I am Impa of the Sheikah Tribe." She continued. "I was the guardian of the Royal Family. But now that our kingdom has taken a turn for the worst I do what I can around here."
'Sheikah Tribe? I've never heard of that.' Link thought.
"I would still like to know what you're doing here though." Impa smirked.
Link frowned at that. He didn't know what he was doing here. He was only this place because the gods sent him here. He didn't choose it. He didn't even choose to leave the Temple of Light. He was just doing what Rauru told him to do. But he wasn't sure if he could mention that. He wasn't completely convinced whether or not that had actually happened. He didn't want to sound crazy. But he didn't want to lie either. Now he was on the spot again and at a loss with words. It was a very intense moment. Impa was smiling but her eyes looked as though they seeing right through him. Link even felt as though she might be invading his mind.
"Excuse me?" Anju interrupted. "Can I tell you what he told me?" She asked.
"What?" Both Link and Impa said at once.
"He's looking for his friend." Anju answered.
"What?" Link asked again.
Impa looked at Anju for a moment before heading for the door. "Very well." She sighed. "I will return shortly." She opened the door and stepped out.
"Are you going to get him?" Anju asked taking Link's shirt out of the water again.
"Yes." Was the short reply before the door shut.
There was a moment of awkward silence while Anju rung out the water and hung the garment on a rack to dry. Link was very confused again. He couldn't tell if the confusion had ever stopped since he'd seen Ganondorf appear ahead of schedule. Everything had been happening so fast after that. He felt helpless. So many things had happened without him seeing it coming or having any means to stop it. He felt anxious. But he kept those feelings inside. These people didn't seem to understand that he had to get back to Hyrule to finish what he'd started. Ganondorf was probably running rampant and hurting many of the people he cared about. Meanwhile he was stuck here playing twenty questions. Although it looked as though these people had their fair share of troubles as well. Had Ganondorf's influence spread to this land as well? That was definitely what it sounded like. But all he knew was that he had to find a way home so he could protect everyone. It didn't matter that he was unprepared for the final fight. He never would've asked for this. 'I should've listened to Midna.' He furrowed his eyebrows and brought his knees up to his chest. 'Now she's all alone and left with no one. I abandoned her!' He knew it wasn't his fault. He never intended to leave her there. He thought she'd gone with him. But it didn't stop him from feeling guilty. He was her only friend since Zelda disappeared. What was she supposed to do without him? 'And after all she did to protect me. I feel like such a jerk.' Now she and everyone else were at the mercy of Ganondorf. Compared to what he'd felt in the Temple of Time Zant was child's play in comparison. 'Midna… please forgive me.' She probably thought he was dead. That didn't make him feel any better. That meant that he'd broken his promise to survive in her eyes.
"Are you feeling okay?" Anju asked sitting down at the foot of the bed. "You aren't sick, are you?"
"No…" Link replied. "I'm just thinking."
"About Midna?" She smiled. Link looked at her dumbstruck. "How do I know that, right?"
Link nodded. 'I thought I just woke up.'
"Please don't be mad at me." She said looking down. "But I've been watching over you these past few days. The fist night you were very restless and murmuring something. So I sat on the bed next to you and listened."
"And I was talking about Midna?" He asked.
"Yes. You were very concerned about where she'd gone and what became of her." Anju nodded. "But that's not all." She continued to stare at the floor as though she'd done something wicked. "I wanted to calm you down so I talked to you. I used it as an opportunity to get information out of you."
Link thought about it for a moment and wondered what he could've possibly said. He didn't have very many secrets. The worst thing he could've said was what Rauru told him. He really didn't want people to think he was some lunatic; but now he was curious. "What exactly did I say?"
"More than I thought you would." Anju answered finally looking up. Link didn't sound angry so she felt better about what she'd done. "It was strange. I was actually able to have a full conversation with you even though you were unconscious." Link found that a little odd as well. And at the same time it made him worry. There was always the possibility that he talked in his sleep as well. He never thought he did. No one ever mentioned it to him. "You talked a lot about where you come from. Ordon, I believe. You seem to have a lot of people you care about."
"Yeah…" There were too many to name.
"How do you know about Ganondorf if you're not from here?" She asked.
Link frowned. It had only happened a few days ago and it was already a memory he hated. "I had a very… unfriendly encounter with him…"
"Oh…" She answered standing up. "He had something against you?"
"I had something he wanted." Link glanced at his left hand. "Things went sour when I wouldn't give it to him. And then there was the other little incident shortly after…" He sighed. "Two days ago was just a very unlucky day for me." It was almost on the same level as the day everything had started. Just like back then, nothing had gone right and it ended with a lot on his plate. At least he could never say he was bored. It was just another chore for him to do. And he'd finish it no matter what.
"I'm sorry he made things difficult for you. Honestly, why can't that man just leave us all alone? He's already made everyone's lives miserable. What more does he want?" She put her hands on her hips in a huff. "I really hope he gets what karma is bringing to him." She turned around and drained the water from the small pot into a nearby sink before filling a larger one and hanging it over the fire.
"What were you cooking my shirt for?" Link asked wanting to change the subject. He didn't like it when people were angry.
"Cooking it? I wasn't cooking it silly. I was washing the blood out of it."
"Really?" He would've never thought to do that. He'd always thought blood was something you were stuck with. But his frown deepened. That change of subject had ended in failure. The mention of the blood made him think of the cause of it. He put a hand on his neck and felt the bandages covering where those things had latched onto his neck. He didn't linger on it for long, not wanting Anju to notice, she looked better with a smile than with a scowl. He also felt his curiosity coming back. He wanted to observe his new surroundings. There couldn't be any killer tree monsters here.
He swung his feet over the side of the bed and placed them on the floor cautiously. Once he was done making sure his toes were still responsive he stood up. He was on his feet for all of a second before his legs slipped out from underneath him and he landed on the floor with a thud.
"Oh my goodness!" Anju gasped. "Are you okay?"
"Yep." Link grunted while propping himself up. He'd been hearing that a lot lately. "I guess my legs weren't quite ready for that."
"Do you need any help?"
"No thank you. I've got it covered." Link said making another failing attempt to stand.
"Oh no… Are you sure?"
Link nodded and pushed himself up with his arms. "Third time's the charm." He groaned. This time he moved very slowly and allowed himself to adjust as he went. He had to steady himself quite a bit but was finally able to stand up. "See? I'm alright." He put on a smile even though he wasn't in the mood for it. But he could see that Anju thought it was genuine. He'd become rather good at faking happiness these last few months.
He had to use his arms to keep himself steady but he felt that failing. 'Crap.' He was going to fall again.
Just as he started to fall forward the door opened and someone stepped inside. Before Link could even register who it was or what had happened he fell against them. Since the person was so unprepared they fell backward from the sudden impact. The next moment they were both on the ground. Link looked up to see Impa with her hand covering her mouth. At first glance it looked like she was concerned about whether or not they were hurt, and it probably started out that way, but he could see her eyebrows were arched upward and her eyes were smiling. She was laughing.
"That's the third time you've fallen over. Please stop trying to stand." Anju pleaded coming over to the doorway. "You're body hasn't completely recovered yet."
"I'm sorry." Link said looking down to see who he'd landed on.
His eyes widened a bit when he saw who it was. It was the weirdest thing he'd seen yet. This boy looked a lot like him. There were subtle differences between the two of them but otherwise they could've been related. He was even wearing a green hat and tunic. His eyes were the same color blue. Link even noticed that from the position of the sheath on his back he was left handed as well.
"What…? Who? How?" Link stammered pushing himself up so the other blonde could stand.
"It's alright." He said dusting himself off and offering his hand.
'At least he doesn't sound like me…' Link thought to himself accepting the help. In fact, this other guy's voice had a higher pitch than his. It was still strange considering he appeared to be older than Link. Admittedly not by much but it was still shocking to say the least. This newcomer looked like a brighter colored version of himself. His green tunic was a less earthy green and his white clothes were white.
He allowed himself to be pulled to his feet by this other young man only to slip a fourth time. Fortunately, this time he caught himself before he landed uncomfortably on his behind. He almost pouted. His legs weren't allowing him to stand but he didn't want to lay down.
Anju and Impa were standing off to the side watching the two interact. They found it an odd sight to behold as well. Unquestionably there was a resemblance between them. They'd noticed it since they first saw Link but now it just screaming in their face.
"Are they brothers?" Anju asked. It was a general question but it was more directed towards Impa.
"We can't be." Link answered. "I'm an only child."
"As am I." The other nodded. "No, we're not brothers. It goes deeper than that." He said removing his left glove. Link watched as he turned his hand to show him the back; there were three triangles stacked up into the Triforce with the one on the lower right a darker color than the rest.
Link's jaw dropped. 'The Triforce of Courage?' He wanted to ask a bunch of questions all at once but no words came out of his mouth. Instead he just lifted his left hand to show his mark with a look of bewilderment stuck on his face.
"My name is Link." The other blonde said already knowing what would happen next.
"Mine is too!" Link answered still in shock.
"Well isn't that confusing." Impa said with the smirk back on her face.
(A/N) OMG! TWO LINKS! What the hell am I thinking? I don't think I even know. Review if you liked it. And if you read it to this point I'm hoping you did. Also, I have no idea how many times I'll say this, but there will be a later pairing. It WILL NOT be the two Links you saw in this chapter because they are related in this story and I don't support things like that. It's no secret, Dark will show up later. My friend and I just wanted to torture TP Link by sticking him in the Ocarina of Time world where the map is completely different and cows talk. Seriously they do. Play Epona's song in front of them, they'll give you milk. It scared me the first time I did it. Cows aren't supposed to talk.