Edited on 7/22/15: errors and adjustments to plot

Minor Rambling of the Author: This idea came to me while listening to "If I Die Young" and "Safe & Sound." I couldn't help but write the ideas down on paper and perhaps try them out with a FANfiction. This story is focused on the usual love interest of Link and Zelda but with a twist. It is based in an alternate universe (then again it could be in the Ocarina of Time universe).

This will be a short story.

Disclaimer: I do not own anything related to the LoZ franchise (duh).


~Music Suggestion: "In Light and Darkness" composed by Adrianvon Ziegler

01 - A Hero Goes to War

When a hero goes to war… he shall turn his back with refined dignity and innocence, but as he returns he shall be a broken man. Cursed by the devastation that lurks on the battlefield.


Fingers flexed, reaching out to the golden curtain that struck boldly through the tree's fingers. The warmth was comforting, promising. Yet as I turned my head against the softness of the grass, against the comforting glow of the sun… I met true warmth. A smile. So joyful, brighter and more colorful than any rupee. Warmer than the sun.

"Hey Link," the smile whispered, azure eyes twinkling under the thin streams of golden light, "my nurse maid used to tell me a story of a hero. One that will always come to the princess when she's in trouble, when she's sad, and whenever he goes off to war he will always come back no matter what." Her luminous hair flickers, casting an uneven radiance against the green blades beneath us. With a small fit of laughter she reaches for my outstretched hand, her smile still lingering as her fingers tangle in mine. Her body scoots closer, the warmth of another soul adding to that of the sun's own comforts. "Do you think that you could be my hero, always be there for me?"

I prop myself up with a free hand, fingers digging into the dirt as I match her gaze with a fitting stare of innocent youth. She'd mentioned this hero time and time again but never had she questioned me with such a thing. To be her hero… all hers. Such a thing, I wouldn't change it for the world. After all, we were friends. Best friends. One in the same from the very beginning.

I drew her closer to me, my fingers brushing tighter against hers as I gave a laugh, "Of course!"

"I'll always be your hero, Zel."


The fist connected heavily with the oak table, papers flying about as the wielder of the clenched hand growled out with such force that it even went as far as to shake the windows, "We have no choice! If we do not act now then thousands will die. The enemy has already taken refuge in the shrine of Kakariko and now they are moving to the shrine in Lake Hylia as we speak. We can't risk another shrine, as well as the people, to succumb to such evil. If we don't stop this now then what will become of Hyrule? She's already soaked with enough blood." The fist shook, unclenching only to scrape at the table's surface with uncut nails. They had begun conspiring strategies for weeks now and nothing had been agreed upon. He—a Hyrulean general in the Royal Militia—had had enough.

"Do we leave the Zora race to suffer? Allow their water temple, their shrine, to fall and drown in blood? Do we stand idly back to see just what the enemy wants?" He continued. They needed a plan. No, a person. Someone who could create a plan and lead it with sufficiency. A hero. "We need the hero."

"But he's already returned from a difficult journey already! We cannot just throw him into another possible death. If we do that and he happens to falter this one time then Hyrule will lose her one and only chance of peace, her hero! We can't test that and you know it!" He glowered across the room at an older commander, the one who had continued to go against every word he had spoken in every battle meeting.

"So you'd have the Zora race become extinct then?" The young general pressed the question, leaning forward slightly as his gaze shifted toward the king of Hyrule—Nohnasen Hyrule.

The royal individual had been sitting at the other end of the table with a silent air of observation. Come to think of it, the royal being hadn't even spoken up throughout the whole meeting. Perhaps he was merely thinking or regretting. Remorseful for letting it go this long and letting the denizens in Kakariko suffer for the kingdom's slow response.

His majesty gave a sigh and a lowering gesture of his graying head, gray eyes wandering over the map that had yet to slip to the floor from the argument that had been heavily placed on the table. Actually, he had thought of requesting aid from the hero, but the chance of the hero not returning would be grave. The people already relied on the young man as it was. If he were to die then Hyrule would fall into panic. Not only that… his weary eyes glanced to the heavy wooden doors on the far side of the room, Zelda would be furious. Though her duty was to act as a beacon of hope to the Hyrulean people, she would drop it in a second if it meant saving Hyrule's heroic mascot.

However, if they let the enemy do as they pleased then the Zora Domain would suffer. The Zora people would fall and there would be even more blood tainting his wrinkled hands. No, it had to be done. No matter the consequences… a king had to act, had to try to save as many as possible. Yes, even if it meant that one man, though idolized, could possibly meat his demise. "I will speak to Link alone about the issue at hand." He spoke, raising his head.

"Your majesty?" The young general breathed, seeming to relax at the statement as his hands withdrew from the table entirely.

"Are you sure? What if—" the aged commander, though younger than his majesty, fell silent at the old king's leveling gaze.

"That boy is our only hope, and if we do not act now then we will lose an ally, a race, and a culture. This bloodshed has to stop. We can't suffer any more losses than this. I will summon the hero at noon and request his aid."


I fiddled with the hem of my white shirt, the sleeves rather long as was the shirt itself entirely, as I stood within the throne room. Just moments ago I had been spending time with Zelda; listening to her laugh, witnessing her smile… her voice. At that time she was glowing but when the royal advisors came with a summons that smile and unearthly glow crumbled. She'd stopped in her laughter. Even went as far as to reach out for my hand when my back had turned to her. Though, she left her hand in mid-air when I had paused. Her hand faltered, shook, and then fell back to her side all together.

She knew something.

No, she always knows something. Especially when I had come back from my previous journey, back from the deserts, and back from the desolate battlefield where I had went against Ganon. For the first few months she had been happy, so positive, but after a messenger came to the kingdom, his body battered and stained with his and another's blood… she'd changed. Her smile wasn't as real whenever a soldier walked our path or her father came to greet us at sporadic moments during the day. Even her choice of conversation would change. For instance, if I even mentioned my previous journeys, Hyrule in general, or the messenger that had staggered into the throne room that day she would change subjects. Laugh it off as if I were joking. Any topic that referred to leaving even… she'd change.

I knew she was hiding something.

"You called for me, your majesty?" I spoke, voice reverberating over the empty hall as I finally looked up from the pale, teal floor to the king himself. We'd been in each other's presence for a while now, not speaking. Though the fact was unnerving as was the sight of those exhausted and nearly troubled gray eyes, it only gave light to Zelda's strange behavior.

The king gave a subtle nod, a hand adjusting the golden crown that sat neatly atop his graying head of brown. Come to think of it, over the past few weeks the king had gotten quieter, more weary. His hair was a mess underneath the crown, claiming sporadic directions. Even his face, though it was thinner, had additional wrinkles littering his skin. The sharpness that was once held was something of a memory now.

"Your maje—"

"Have you heard of the recent bloodshed?" He questioned, his eyes flickering to the walls at my back to eye the tapestries of the Royal Family.

I gave a bit of a cringe. No. No, of course not. After the messenger had arrived, Zelda changed. Always altering topics. Even went as far as to chase the soldiers that guarded her away from us and now that I think about it, from me.

"I wouldn't be surprised if you knew not of it since you've been staying here recuperating. That, and my daughter. I know well that if she were here she would fall into tantrums, refusing me to utter the grave news." The king gave a dry chuckle, his frown gaining depth as that aging gaze shifted slowly to my own, questioning yet again.

"Link, it seems that Hyrule is in danger. Not herself but her children. It seems that we have an enemy roaming about, attacking one location after the other. Sadly, we've been acting rather slow in reply to their doings for we only heard of this after Kakariko suffered. Their shrine was taken over, destroyed and desecrated. Their people murdered. Even now, we know little of the enemy for every time we send out a legion from our armies they never return. The messenger knew little, he'd only come across the bloodshed a few days ago before it had happened. He was delivering a message to those dwelling in the shrine."

I took in a breath, fingers curling at the hem of my shirt now as I dropped my gaze to the floor. Zelda knew something… knew this. She knew that if I'd known then I would instantly request to help, to be Hyrule's hero once more. But that doesn't… "You want my help to defeat this mysterious enemy, correct?" I questioned, flinching at the reluctance that littered my tone.

She didn't want me to go… she's afraid.

"Yes but Link, I am not ordering you. I wish to give you freewill for we cannot always rely on you. Though you may be a chosen one of the gods, you are still Hylian. You're still a boy. For that, this kingdom will dare not look down on you if you decline. I will make sure of that. Though if you accept, my daughter may—"

"I'm aware." I cut in, eyes lifting from the floor once more. Zelda would be furious. She would call me out on fearing how the people of Hyrule would act if their icon declined aid. She would say that I am not acting of my own will. Nevertheless, "Her thoughts will not change anything. I am a hero, the representative of Farore. If I don't act now, aid Hyrule then something terrible, worse than the irregular bloodsheds, will occur. Not only that, but it's my duty. It's the reason of my existence. To sit back and watch the world turn, battling and dying, is not in me." I drew my hands to the sides, straightening my posture.

Zelda will forgive me.

"I will act as Hyrule's hero once more and eliminate the enemy." I gave a bow of the head, a sweep of the arms.

"Are-are you sure, Link?"

"Yes, but let me be the one to tell Zelda."


The splash of colors grew dull— lifeless— as I looked to her. Already she was trying to regain her composure, trying to stand tall and see me off, but I knew her better than that. It was the way she let her head droop, her fingers clinging to the hem of her silk sleeves. It was the way she let her confident voice fall to a mere whisper of wind.

"I'll be back." I retreated a step, forcing my gaze away from her own. I can't deal with this. I shouldn't have come. She'd been so happy, upbeat just moments ago before I'd spoken. She'd been laughing before I told her of the news, of my new assignment. Slowly and gravely did I turn, forcing myself to ignore her shaken breath as well as the desire to hug her. At the sound of her trembling inhale I wanted to tell her a promise that everything would be all right. I should but if I do then I'll never leave. I gave a sigh, one I had been keeping in for a long while upon meeting her.

I needed to tell her. Needed to say goodbye. This was right. If I had just left then she would hate me and worry even more. She would—

I paused in mid-step, my arm pulled back by shaking fingers.

Zelda… no. No, I have to go. I have to… "Link." I turned, head glancing over the shoulder in utter despair to the very person that I loved most.

"Link…" her smile, something I had become used to—something I treasured—had faltered, "promise you'll come back. No matter what." Her fingers curled about my arm, pulling it toward her. "Promise. Me." The words fell short, fallen to a gasp.

A sound of threatening tears.

Reluctantly I turned, allowing my arm to linger in her grasp for a final moment as I once more set eyes on her. She'd once told me, long ago, that she'd made a promise to her mother to never cry. It was unbefitting of a princess. Crying was not an option for a princess should be utterly optimistic for her people. Hope. Yet now here she stood, the princess of the lands that I swore to protect, my best friend, with her glossy eyes and trembling lip. Without a second glance I could tell that she was on the verge of breaking that promise.

All for me.

"Link…"

Trying to keep myself emotionless I slowly drew my arm away from her tight fingers. "Zel, I always come back." Without consideration to her feelings as well as the soldiers that stood behind her at the door would do in response, I lifted a hand, caressing her golden locks. I'd done it multiple times, it calmed her. A method that always made her smile, but now her lip only trembled further, tears barely visible.

She gasped again, a ragged intake of air as she again grasped my arm. Both hands latched to my wrist as she brought it close to her chest, "But Link, the dreams…" again her words died in a whisper, something that was beginning to make me wince all the more.

Yes, the dreams. She'd been telling me them for over a month now. On occasion the nightmares had escalated so much to the point where I was asked to stay in her bed chambers and watch over her and on those sporadic days the dreams were nonexistent. "Zel-"

"They keep getting worse Link. Every time, you die. Every time the death is more gruesome, unforgiving, and slower than the last." Her pale fingers tightened against my wrist, eyes level with mine as she let out another trembling breath.

I gave a slight nod. She needn't remind me, I knew. I knew every one of them that she'd dreamed, down to the last detail. Not because of worry or curiosity but because she persisted, held so much worry for me, and hoped that if she reiterated the dreams then I might escape the "deaths." "Zelda," I gave a sigh, having to avert my gaze to the eavesdropping soldiers at the door… the way she looked at me… I could handle any fight, any task, but not something like this, "I always come back. I always return and you know that."

She shook her head gravely, blond braids twirling and tangling about her sharp shoulders. "But these dreams, Link, what if they-"

"Zelda."

"What if they're a prediction? What if it's the Goddesses trying to warn me, us? What if-"

"Zel-"

"Link, what if you leave me?" Her breath came quicker, eyes brimming over with tears. They were slipping over her cheeks now.

I gave a grunt, my composure that I had built up over the few hours before telling her crumbling with just a slip of a tear, and pulled her in an embrace. Ignoring the startled breaths of the soldiers, I drew her close and adjusted the blond fringe away from her swelling eyes. "I would never allow that, never do that. I couldn't bear to leave you."

She looked at me a moment, hand still clutched to my side as she stood in the embrace. Then her head fell, pressed to my chest, and her arms quickly wrapped around to my back. "I know… but…" her breath faded into yet another whisper, caught by the thumping of my heart.

Goddesses, I shouldn't have told her. I shouldn't have—"Zelda." That's it? That's all I can come up with. Just a simple name, her name. Nothing else. No comfort. No promise. "I'll always come back for you." If I hadn't been hugging her right then and there I would have slapped myself. I was merely repeating, being meaningless. If only—

"I'm just so scared, Link. What if you never come back? I could never bear that… because… because… I love you so much." Her voice shook, singing with tears as she held me tighter. "I love you…"


The scent burned, crawled up my skin. Like rusted copper, a withered flower. Rot. The stench was lingering. Crying out to be remembered. It was what ghosts were made of, eternal. My gloved hands raked over my steed's neck, a habit that I had taken on through my previous journeys. A habit I had picked up in a way of comfort for I could never stand the sight or smell of blood after my first kill.

"Master Link!" I lifted my head, averting my gaze from the pile of dead Zora warriors, the lives ended with just one sweep of a sword, to the speaker. The young lad, a foot soldier from the western lands of Hyrule, ran up to my horse's side with a gasp in his rhythm. He leaned over, a hand brushing against my saddle as he gulped in a heaving breath. "S-Sir… the fifth squad to the south of Zora's Domain has fallen… there-there's too many. Too many Da-Darknuts. They just… just-keep co-coming. No end. So many loss-losses."

I looked down at the boy, his brown eyes being that of the only sight despite his young shape through the Hyrulean soldier armor. Like the rest of my men, I had forgotten his name. What was it… Johnn, Mal, Mohnn? Without a doubt he too must have left a special person behind at home. He must have had to deal with a despairing goodbye. Shared a tear or two.

Focus.

Giving a soft shake of my head against the thoughts, "Tell the squads in their designated areas to keep their ground. We can't allow the enemy to take the shrine of Lake Hylia. I, myself, will head to where the fifth squad was held to eradicate the enemy."

The foot soldier nodded, his eyes averting from me through the thin slits of his helmet. "Yes sir." He performed a bit of a bow before turning and running through the depth of the field.

I watched him for a solemn moment, waiting for his body to disappear beyond a hill or the foggy darkness that cloaked this region of the fields. Without a doubt, he was younger than Zelda or me. "He's far too young for this mess." I whispered, my breath fogging against the crispness that haunted the long blades of grass and weeds. With a sigh I tucked a hand within the restraints of my steed's reins, the thick leather freezing my fingers. "But then again, it's his life. He's free to choose." My voice broke at that, strangled as I reached at the sword that clung to my back.

I never got to choose.

The blade withdrew with a soft whisper, its withdrawal sounding dry against the damp air as I brought it to my front. Such a sword, I'd been its wielder for a while now. In just a few short years I had gotten used to its sight,but never to how it looked when contaminated with blood. No, I liked seeing the reflections of the world that surrounded me. I liked seeing the glint it took under glowing lights. I'd even become accustomed to the feel of the hilt. Even when my first journey ended—defeating Ganon— I could not bear to part with the ancient relic. It had seen grotesque things, things that I had shared by witnessing, acting.

My horse huffed, hooves padding at the earth beneath us with a withering whinny. Impatience. Perhaps nervousness. "You're right, Epona." I muttered, eyeing my blank expression through the blade's reflection, "Now's not the time to stray, to falter. Let's go…"

The quicker this ends, the sooner I can return to Zelda's side.

Adjusting the sword in my grasp, I gave a click of my tongue and a tap of heel against ribs. Epona darted forward, hooves digging in a grave manner; the sound hollow, unforgiving as we galloped to the southern fields of Hyrule. I leaned forward, legs wrapping around the sides of her belly to urge her to go faster. To end this quicker.

We galloped along the rolling hills, my eyes averting from any spot that reeked of blood—death. I'd already seen enough of it, witnessed so much in just a few short years of my existence. Surely, if I wasn't the hero I would hightail it out of here. If I wasn't the "last hope" as Hyrule referred me to then I would return to my chambers, be innocent.

I would be a child again, normal.

Epona's gruff huff drew me back, my eyes blinking against the clouded light. Goddesses, the scent was growing worse. Blood… twisted copper, withering and twirling. Aged and screaming. Yet there I rode, giving a strained click of the tongue for Epona to go faster. Faster. Get it done with. Get it over with.

To return to Zelda's side. To see her smile. To keep my promise.

We rounded the cliffs, the hooves thundering in a hollow chant as we covered the stretch of field. Just one more hill and then the real bloodshed would begin. Just one more string of seconds and then the sight, scenery and all, would change. In that moment I would need to force myself to become blank, nothing but a toy soldier. A doll.

It's the only way. Though it's painful… it's the only way.

I kept repeating the lines, over and over. It's the only way. Though it's painful… it's the only way. This is what a hero should do. Always. Fight for the people that believe in him. Fight for their freedom, their peace. Fight against his feelings, insecurities, and fears. Even if there's no one to back him up… he must fight.