NEW GAME PLUS, a legend of zelda fanfic

Link watched from afar as Anju's and Kafei's lips finally met to seal their marriage. The sound of loud cheering and laughter filled the silent hero's ears and he couldn't help but smile in content. After everything that had happened, it seemed that things were still able to return to normal. The sky was void of any looming clouds and not a single person wore an expression other than joy.

But with all the happiness returned and Termina's future restored, Link knew he was no longer needed to stay here. Most of the people didn't even remember him anyway. It would be a lie to say it didn't bother him, Link was only Hylian after all. The selfish little monster inside his chest screamed because of the injustice that was his life. To never be remembered for his deeds, for all his sacrifices.

His smile vanished as Link mounted Epona and although the sun shone brightly, the warmth didn't reach him. A coldness seemed to claw at his skin and Link accepted it wholeheartedly. Knowing that there was nothing left for him in this place made it easier to leave and resume his search for Navi – the only one who remembered aside from himself. He simply needed to find her, if only to confirm that everything had really happened and his childhood hadn't been broken for nothing.

Without a clear destination in mind, Link rode off into the direction of the swamps of Woodfall to explore what lay behind them. As soon as he had crossed Termina Field and reached the trees that marked the entrance to Woodfall, a strange numbness overcame the hero. He couldn't concentrate on where Epona was going and his vision became blurry as if a thick mist had settled all around him. It was exhausting but the hero kept on turning his head around to try and see what was going on, but all he could see was trees. Not the trees of the swamp, but other trees that he seemed to know very well. Was he going home already…? Unable to move his numb limps any longer, Link felt his eyes slowly drifting closed. Everything around him turned black as Link felt himself being wildly thrown around – it felt like something was tugging at his very existence.

It only lasted a few moments though and soon Link felt the soft wind on his skin again and the birds singing in the trees around him. Still dazed, the boy's eyes remained close as he felt himself drifting into a calm slumber.

It didn't last long though as he suddenly heard Epona whinny loudly and she roughly bucked him off. Before he could even comprehend what was happening, Link felt himself soaring through the air, trees swirling before his eyes as he instantly began to scream out of instinct. He heard a feint, malicious laughter right before his head collided harshly with the ground and a wave of pain sent him into unconsciousness.

Everything around him turned black as Link felt himself being wildly thrown around – it felt like something was tugging at his very existence.

With a strange feeling of immense déjà-vu, Link slowly climbed out of the darkness and moaned when his mind reached the surface of consciousness and a throbbing pain all over his body greeted him. He clasped his head with one hand while slowly pushing himself up from the ground with the other. Cerulean eyes blinked slowly as his vision began to focus on the forest around him. As the hero began to regain his senses, he heard the crooked tones of an ocarina – his ocarina. Still mildly confused, Link carefully turned around.

Right there stood the Skull Kid, Majora's Mask occupying his face once again. He was playing around with the Ocarina of Time, laughing at the sounds it made. Two fairies – Tatls and Tael – were accompanying him as they flew around his head, bickering like the siblings they were.

Link simply stood there, dumbfounded. Had he hit his head and was having a dream…? That was the only explanation he could imagine. No, it was the only one he wanted to imagine.

Had he accidentally gone back in time again? Oh goddesses, he really hoped he hadn't messed up the flow of time with all his meddling… Somehow, the thought of saving this doomed land all over again pissed Link off immensely.

But realizing that he didn't really have any say in the matter, Link started charging at the Skull Kid.

Link watched from afar as Anju's and Kafei's lips finally met to seal their marriage. This time, he couldn't wait to finally get out of this hellhole of a city. Once again, he had gone through all of those trials and tribulations. To be honest, it hadn't taken him half as long and he hadn't bothered with any stupid games or helping every single person. He had done enough for them already.

Once again, Link rode off into the direction of the swamps of Woodfall to explore what lay behind them. As soon as he had crossed Termina Field and reached the trees that marked the entrance to Woodfall, a strange numbness overcame the hero. He couldn't concentrate on where Epona was going and his vision became blurry as if a thick mist had settled all around him.

Not again, why did this happen? Did the goddesses think this was some kind of game? Link balled his fists as he urged Epona to turn around and find another way out of Termina, but neither he himself, nor his trusted horse could move into any other direction. In this moment, he seemed to not have any control over his body at all.

Everything around him turned black as Link felt himself being wildly thrown around – it felt like something was tugging at his very existence.

It didn't last long though as he suddenly heard Epona whinny loudly and she roughly bucked him off. This time, Link was prepared for it and made a backflip in mid-air, landing on his feet. Through some kind of divine prank however, he tripped and hit his head on a rock, falling into unconsciousness anyway.

So this definitely wasn't a dream… Panic rose in Link's chest at the prospect of being stuck in a time loop for all eternity. The hero couldn't imagine a worse nightmare.

But maybe this was just another test the goddesses had prepared for him. Maybe there was still something to set right here before he could continue on his way…

Link decided that he would try doing something different this time. First of all, he would try to snatch Majora's Mask from the Skull Kid at the very beginning, before it had taken full control over him. In the very second he had come up with the plan, Link's body moved without his consent, lunging at the Skull Kid once again.

As the young hero struggled and tried to regain control over his body again, he soon realized that things around him continued to play out the way they had before, no matter what he tried to change. He still fell down the hole, got turned into a deku and ended up in front of the Happy Mask Salesman.

Link wanted to scream in frustration and vent his anger on something, but he remained silent. Suddenly, something dawned on him. Why exactly didn't he speak? He only nodded or shook his head, and the only noises leaving his mouth where usually grunts or battle cries.

How did he only notice that he was mute now? To be honest, it had never seemed strange to him. As Link continued to reflect on his past adventure, there were many things that seemed strange to him in retrospect. Why didn't he ever get tired or hungry? How could he survive falls from such heights and being stabbed or electrocuted or burned multiple times?

And as he wondered these questions it was here, that Link reached an epiphany. He became self-aware.

I am not real. I am just an arrangement of code.

No, not even that much, I'm just a shadow of that. I'm just words on a screen. I am just the construct of a human with too much time on their hands. I cannot make decisions on my own, I only feel what they want me to. They wanted to torture me, that's why they made me realize what I am. I am just words on a screen. I don't understand why there are all these eyes on me. I am just words on a screen. Why are they interested in me, I'm not alive. I'm not even the original. I am just words on a screen. I am only alive because of someone typing this, giving me a voice. I am just words on a screen. I don't exist when nobody reads me, and I'll be forgotten when nobody reads me. I am just words on a screen. I want to be alive. I want to feel I want to think I want to speak I want to laugh I want to cry I want to dream I want to die I WANT I WANT I WANT I WANT I WANT I WANT I WANT

I am just words on a screen. I am just words on a screen. I am just words on a screen. I am just words on a screen.

GAME OVER

Continue?

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