Welcome, one and all. A few notes on this story before we begin.
First and foremost, let me thank the lovely Crimson Dei for her extensive assistance with ironing out the plot of this fanfiction. If not for her and her ample knowledge of The Legend of Zelda, I would never have gotten this off the ground.
This is a post-Twilight Princess fanfic that explores a new enemy, old powers, and friends both old and new being brought together under some of the worst circumstances possible: war and tragedy.
Some things may seem confusing at first, but like in any good story, they will be explained in time. Also, please read past the first part of this fic. It gets more interesting around the second-third portion.
Rated M: This story is rated for mature audiences only (Age 17 and up), and reader discretion is advised. This is due to violence, blood, gore, character death, language, potential adult content (at times including partial nudity), and alcohol use/abuse. You have been duly warned.
Disclaimer: I don't own The Legend of Zelda, or anything affiliated with it. Happy?
Chapter 1: The Breaking of Dawn (Hero's Burden)
Link sighed, running a hand through his sandy blond hair as he patted Epona's flank. The horse whinnied, shaking out her long mane before allowing Link to grab her reigns and lead her towards their old home.
Three years. It'd been three long years since he'd been home to Ordon Village, and he'd missed it every step of the way.
He sighed again, leading Epona to the corral next to his house and hitching her there. "I'll bring Ilia over as soon as I can, alright?" he assured the mare, who gave him another whinny in response. Nodding, he turned and began climbing the ladder that served as the stairs to his home. He jumped to his feet upon reaching his doorstep, opening the door and leaving his sword and shield behind. He'd visit his old home later, make sure everything was in order, but letting everyone know that he was alright came first.
The green-clad hero leapt from the balcony, landing easily and rolling to his feet, without a single touch of dirt on his clothes. He chuckled, thinking of how Talo, Malo, and Beth would've reacted to seeing that just three years ago. The goddesses know I've missed all of them. He smiled tiredly, increasing his pace to a jog as he made for the village.
He only needed to take a few steps, but each one dragged on into eternity. He lifted his gaze to the sky, and with a deep breath, took the final step into the town that he called home.
"So you're back, Link," a gruff voice called from just off to Link's right. He glanced up, noting a man with a moustache, a headband, and sun-bleached blond hair with a sword on his back.
"Rusl!" Link almost shouted in joy, and the older man embraced his former ward with a grin. "It's so good to see you again."
"Likewise, Link," Rusl chuckled, patting the young hero on the back with a grin. "Talo and his group have been raising hell, and Ilia can't keep a hold on the boy anymore, now that he's taller than she is he thinks he's above her rules."
Link chuckled. "That also means he's taller than Jaggle too, right?"
The aging swordsman sighed, scratching the back of his head. "Unfortunately. I'm too busy to keep a handle on him, and his pranks have started to get out of hand."
"I'll take care of it," Link assured the man he considered to be a surrogate father. "But before that, what's been happening?"
"I'll tell you all about it, but first, let's get some food in you, boy," he laughed, clapping a hand on Link's back. "You've gotten skinnier since I've last seen you, and Uli will have a fit if you don't take care of yourself."
Link returned his chuckles, walking along the road to where he knew their house was. "And we don't want that, do we?"
Rusl shook his head ruefully, following his pupil. "No, we do not."
"…and then, Fado snorted goat milk everywhere, all over Beth!" the kind-faced blond kid across from Link guffawed loudly, slapping the table. "You should've seen her face; she looked like she was going to strangle him!"
Link chuckled, ruffling Colin's hair across the table from him. They'd finished eating a while ago, and Uli had scolded him, as Rusl had predicted, for not taking proper care of himself. He'd asked the swordsmith to let Ilia know that he was back safe, and to tell her that she could take Epona to the spring if she wanted before devouring his food. He and Colin had been exchanging stories for the better part of an hour now, and the boy was getting tired. "You've grown up a lot, Colin," he told his surrogate little brother, bringing a beaming smile to the boy's face. "Becoming a ranch hand, learning how to use a sword, helping out Ilia around town… I'm proud of you."
Colin blushed, smiling shyly and fidgeting. "Thanks, Link…" he murmured. "You're always so nice…"
Link laughed. "It's my job as the 'Hero of Hyrule', or whatever they're calling me now, right?" he asked jokingly, patting the younger boy on the shoulder. "You should go get some sleep, Colin. I know you're exhausted, and I'll be here in the morning. We can talk all we want then."
Colin opened his mouth to argue, but instead of complaining, a huge yawn issued forth. He slumped dejectedly, nodding. "I guess you're right…"
"Go to bed, Colin," Link urged him, standing. "You'll need it if you're going to be helping Fado tomorrow."
The young ranch hand nodded tiredly, turning away and moving to the stairs. Link simply stood, nodded his thanks to Uli for the meal, and left without a word.
The sun was setting behind the hills in the town of Ordon now, it was really starting to get late; in the height of summer the sun didn't set until well into the night. He stifled a yawn with his hand, then trudged back to his house along the path to Rusil's place. A few others, Sera and Jaggle, noticed him and said hello, but his dismissive wave seemed to discourage them from continuing any further.
I'll talk to them tomorrow. Link shook his head as he started to climb the ladder to his house. But not now. I'm exhausted, three years of travels and then having to put up with a scolding and a hyperactive thirteen year old for a few hours mean I have almost no energy now.
He climbed down to the basement, retrieving his ranch hand's clothes and slipping off his signature green tunic, letting it drop to the ground with a solid thud. When I first wore it, I thought that it was odd for it to make such a sound when I dropped it, but now I know why. It's not just the Hero of Time's garb; it's also a hero's burden. Whether it's magic or something else, it reminds the wearer of just how much they carry on their shoulders every day.
He shook the thoughts from his head and dressed in his old clothing before climbing back up into the loft before lying down on his bed. Even without it, I still have to see everyone tomorrow. It's going to be a long day, he thought as he drifted off to sleep.
Screams, the crackling of flames, and the whinny of a dying horse were the sounds that woke Link that night. He vaulted out of bed, his heart on edge and his instincts on overdrive as he rushed to the window. As soon as his wild blue eyes beheld the sight before him, his blood ran cold through his veins.
Ordon Village was in flames, the smoke rising into the dark sky in torrents of unyielding black. Faint screams echoed through the night, raising the hairs on Link's neck. He bolted for the door, practically ripping it off its hinges in his haste to find out what was happening as he leapt and landed on the ground, pain radiating up his legs from his off-balance landing.
"Sic, Vir of Hyrule adveho ut servo dies," a mocking voice proclaimed in a strange tongue a few feet from Link. He glared upward, noting a man standing there, illuminated by the flames of a torch. This person was large and gaunt, his build giving the impression of a starved animal. A curved sword sheath was strapped across the figure's back, something Link instantly took note of. His face was decidedly human, but his eyes were completely black; soulless pits that seemed to suck in the light from the rest of his visage. His body was wrapped in what appeared to be lightweight black chain mail, and the cloth he wore beneath it was also stark black. He shifted to his right a half-step, and it seemed as though he simply flowed in the night, like a shadow along a wall.
"I don't understand you," Link growled back in Hylian. "Who or what are you?"
The being released a smirk, a barely visible expression on his shadowed face. "Nos es Umbralus."
Umbralus? Link wondered as he came to his feet. Is that a name, or a species, or what? As he pondered this, his trained eyes caught a flicker of motion behind the man, noting several similarly clothed and skeletal individuals coming up the path behind them. More of them? He turned his gaze back to the man before him, his features set in a grimace. "Did you attack Ordon?" he snapped, gesturing past the men to where the village stood.
The lead man leered at him and slowly nodded. Link's hand clenched into a fist, and his eyes closed as he felt rage overtake him, the kind of anger he hadn't felt since becoming a wolf over three years ago boiling in his veins. "Then you die."
The first shadow being barely had time to register as Link struck out, his fist plowing into his face and crushing the man's nose. Blood spurted in torrents from the broken cartilage as Link swiped the sword from the first's back and drew it with his left hand, noting the curve and sheen of the odd one-sided blade. He lashed out at the others, but they were prepared, and leapt back whilst drawing their own weapons; swords, daggers, and even a chain sickle were pulled seemingly from nowhere as Link charged forward with a bestial snarl.
The Umbralus, if that was what they were truly called, appeared to melt into the shadows as their Hylian opponent leapt forward. Link skidded to a halt, his icy blue eyes flicking back and forth from shadow to shadow as he waited breathlessly for his opponents to show themselves. He shifted into a two-handed stance, allowing himself the use of more power and control than with his left arm alone.
Suddenly, the shadows shifted behind him, and a sword-wielding Umbralus emerged, slashing Link across the back with almost superhuman quickness. The young hero staggered as his blood sprayed into the air, spinning around to cut down his cowardly foe, but no one was present behind him.
Another blade blurred into existence behind him, the chain sickle carving a second rent in his side, covering his clothes with more blood. Link gave a pained grunt, but otherwise showed no signs of slowing as he lashed out at the retreating weapon. His eyes narrowed, his excellent night vision allowing him to catch every detail. They aren't just moving under the cover of the shadows, they're moving through them. That's Twili magic, something that no light being should possess. This is…
Yet a third blade cleaved into him, disrupting his musings and tossing him to the ground. He rolled up, but immediately felt another flash of pain as the fourth weapon struck home, driving him to his knees.
Then, all of the blades descended at once.
Screams ripped themselves from Link's throat in waves, becoming louder and more pained as the six Umbralus' blades descended again and again on his already stricken body. He rolled onto his back to try and escape, only to seize up in pain as his shredded back touched the ground. The blades fell anew, this time ripping into his chest. One of the Umbralus kicked him, throwing him onto his stomach again as his consciousness faded from his agony.
Oh Din, please don't let it end here, he pleaded, praying to the goddess that had seemingly forsaken him. I need to help anyone who is left in Ordon. I need to kill these men. I need more power!
His hand clawed at the dirt as the dark-armored warriors turned their backs on him, a feeling of intense helplessness compounded by a powerful surging heat in his veins welling up inside of him. Give me the power to stop them. Give me the power to defeat them. Give me the power to kill them!
His shoulders bunched up, his back arched, and his head wrenched back up to the moon as a very lupine howl reverberated from his mouth.
"Urgh," the Twilight Hero groaned, stirring. He shifted onto his knees, still bleeding badly. He shook his head to clear it, now taking in his surroundings in the morning light. The bodies of seven black-clad fighters lay scattered around the clearing, their armor in tatters and large pools of blood surrounding them. They were torn apart like some great beast had used them as chew toys. One had even lost an arm. The Umbralus. He smirked. Looks like Din granted my request. He turned back to his home, but his eyes drifted to something else: the body of a chestnut horse, lying on its side with bloody slashes wreathing its body. "Epona," he murmured, a tear building in his eye for his longtime animal companion. A jolt of realization shuddered through him, reminding him of something terribly important. "Oh no…" he breathed. "The village…"
He bolted to his feet, the sudden movement sending a fresh wave of pain through his injuries. He staggered dizzily, the blood in his head pounding like a thousand bass drums. Righting himself, Link limped forward as fast as he could, trying not to lose his already questionable balance. He turned his eyes up as the village slid into view… and immediately regretted it.
Nothing was left standing; all the houses were piles of ashes and still-smoldering timbers. Bodies, all still recognizable, were strewn across the ground everywhere, so that there was no place Link could look without seeing one of his dead friends. He fell to his knees, crawling across the ground and dragging himself forward, no longer having the will to stand. Tears poured from his eyes, but he resolutely held back from sobbing or screaming; he just pressed onward as sorrow slowly overcame him.
His hand nudged a body, and he recoiled, only to freeze mid-motion as he did so. He knew this person so well, he couldn't stand it. He kneeled over the body, his grief overcoming him as he buried his face in his hands. His tears slipped through, plopping down on her lifelessly pale skin, her now dirty blonde hair. He looked at her face, only to hide again as he saw her empty green eyes staring accusingly at him.
He couldn't take it any longer. No one, nothing from his hometown was left. He curled into a fetal ball, fur growing over his skin and clothes as the form of the twilight wolf took him again. Link, or rather the wolf, relaxed his posture, uncurling and standing. Giving Ilia's face a single sorrowful lick, he turned, and ran full-tilt into the woods of Ordon without a second glance.
The head of the Royal Guard of Hyrule Castle shoved his hands into the pockets of his tunic pants, which he wore instead of armor, and stretched his stiff neck. Another easy and carefree day of patrolling, Major Talon thought hopefully, striding purposefully out into the spacious garden courtyard, where his men stood at attention. "Standard rounds for today, men," he called out cheerfully to the armor-clad guards. "Run the usual shifts; I want no fewer than three guards per major corridor, and at least one in each of the minor ones. Furthermore-"
"Awoooo…"
Talon stopped mid-sentence, raising an eyebrow as the eerie, pained howl passed through his eardrum. "What was that?" he asked sharply, not in the mood for any funny business from his guards.
"It sounded like it came from the front gate, sir!" one of his soldiers responded automatically. "Shall we go see what is going on?"
"No, soldier," Talon ordered crisply. "I'll go myself. If I call for you for some reason, I expect you to come running."
"Yes sir," the guards chorused. Talon strode past them, his red tunic flapping in the morning breeze as he drew his broadsword from the sheath on his belt. He wasn't expecting trouble, but it didn't hurt to be cautious.
He broke into a light jog as he neared the gate, the drawbridge's open state revealing a figure silhouetted against the rough ground. A person? He sheathed his blade, increasing his pace again and reaching the unconscious being on the ground. "Great goddess Din," he breathed, seeing the state the young man in front of him was in.
He was only slightly younger than Talon himself, maybe eighteen or nineteen, and was also Hylian like him, his pointed ears signifying this. He was covered in blood from his neck to his knees, bloody slash wounds covering his back and wrapping around to his chest. The youth's simple tunic was in tatters, the pants revealing it to be some kind of farming garb. He stared up at Talon pointedly as his sandy blond hair lay tousled around his head. His piercing blue eyes chilled the skilled war veteran deeper than any winter freeze; they were primal, calculating, predatory. He felt like he was looking into the eyes of a wolf, rather than a man.
That could explain the howl we heard, Talon mused as the man passed out, his eyelids rolling shut. He picked the boy up, hanging him by the arm over his shoulders. I'll take him in to the castle infirmary, then inform Princess Zelda of these happenings. Din knows she probably doesn't have anything more important to trifle with now that most of Hyrule's problems are settled. "Soldiers!" he shouted to the men in the courtyard. "One of you needs to inform the infirmary that they are going to be receiving a patient that they need to prepare for. Two more should come help me; we have an injured man here!"
Armor clanked as two guards ran down the passage to the front gate. One grabbed the bloodied Hylian's feet, while a second grabbed his arms, relieving Talon. "Get him to the infirmary, I'll go inform Princess Zelda of this," Talon ordered, receiving nods from both men. They traveled together as far as the main hall, then split off in opposite directions, the soldiers heading for their appointed task in the infirmary as Talon moved to report to the Princess.
The Major strode through the halls of the palace emanating a sturdy air of confidence. He stopped at a gilded door with the Triforce seal emblazoned in gold on the front; Princess Zelda's personal study. He knocked, clearing his throat. "Your highness, are you in there?"
"I am, Talon," a soothingly calm female voice replied. "Come in, please."
He nodded, twisting the ornate door handle to enter the room, and bowing before his charge. "My liege, a situation has come up at the front gate."
Zelda turned from her spot at the window, turning her royal amethyst eyes to the Royal Guard's commander as her pearly-white embroidered dress swept around her legs. "What has happened?"
"A young man was found unconscious at the gate," he reported. "He is Hylian, blond, and with a strong build. By what is left of his clothing, I suspect that he is a farmhand of some sort."
The teenage princess turned to fully face Talon, a curious expression adorning her refined features. "What happened to him that he requires our attention?"
"Milady, when I found him, he was covered in vicious cuts and was bleeding out," he replied. "Quite frankly, it looked like the boy had been dragged through a forest of swords. Surprisingly most of the damage was on his torso, as though his assailants wanted to make sure that he was still recognizable."
Zelda flinched slightly at his description, her fingers playing with the fringe of her purple corset vest. "How awful," she whispered. "How did you find this man?"
"A strange howl, a wolf, if I'm not mistaken, alerted me to his presence." The guard shifted uncomfortably, as though trying to figure out the best way to phrase the next part. "Princess… his eyes are so dangerous and feral it's almost frightening. I fear he may be a werewolf of some sort."
Zelda's eyes widened at the statement, and she mouthed the word "werewolf" before clenching one of her hands into a loose fist. "What color are his eyes, Talon?" the monarch implored him.
Talon glanced up, surprised at the pleading tone. "Milady?"
"Talon, please," she groaned, taking several steps forward. "Tell me what color his eyes are!"
"T-they are shining crystal blue, my liege," he stuttered, coming to his feet out of reflex. "They're so clear and bright they would put the waters of the Lanayru Spring to shame."
Zelda stopped dead, slowly drawing her hands in front of her and clasping them as though in prayer. "Oh goddesses," she whispered, sounding absolutely frightened. "It's Link."
Talon perked up at the name. "The Hero of Hyrule?" he asked skeptically. "The one who saved us all from the Twilight Wars and killed the monster Ganon?"
She nodded briskly, walking past him and opening the door. "Come Talon, we must head to the infirmary, now," she all but ordered the Major, rushing down the hall like the hem of her dress had caught fire.
Talon followed behind her, worried at her reaction, and the concerned look on her face. Why would she become so upset? Does she know something more about this? What in the name of Din could've happened?
Alright then. First chapter, done. A few more notes.
Link regaining his Twilight Wolf form may not make sense right now, but I will get around to explaining it later. And no, he doesn't have the Shadow Crystal.
If anyone got the language the Umbralus were speaking, I'll be impressed. It is a real language, not made up.
Here are translations for what was said in their tongue:
Sic, Vir of Hyrule adveho ut servo dies: So, the Hero of Hyrule comes to save the day.
Nos es Umbralus: We are (known as) the Umbralus.
Major Talon is an OC belonging to me. He is completely of my own invention, and is thus the only thing about this story that I own, other than the plot of course.
Leave constructive reviews, and I'll probably have this chapter done a hell of a lot faster.