Hello!
I'm Falls-44, taking a stab at writing! I really enjoyed the Legend of Zelda series so I thought I'd write something about it (of course, with an AU twist!).
Summary: Link Hylia is just an average high school kid, trying to make it through his Senior year with the usual problems: crushes, schoolwork, and his best friends Malon and Sheik. But when his parents bring back an ancient ocarina from an archaeological excavation, Link's life is turned upside down as he is thrown into an adventure to save Hyrule from an ancient evil. Some ZeldaxLink romance, rated T to be safe.
So, unusual storyline, right? Well, give it a read anyways and see if you like it! Comments and (constructive) critiscm is welcomed!
A Legend Trapped in Time
Chapter 1
Thunder clapped down from the heavens, the booming symphony crashing spectacularly onto a lone island in the midst of a lava flow. The charred husk of land was covered with fire and wreckage, surrounding two warriors as they dueled in a frenzy of destruction. One combatant: a terrible creature from the pits of hell itself, as tall as five people and stronger than a hundred. The other: a young, determined, but wounded man clad in bloodstained clothing and wielding a battered sword and shield.
"Fool! You cannot defeat me! I am too powerful for even you, Hero of Time!" The huge creature, writhing in flames with a fiery sword and baleful, demonic eyes swung its weapon in a glittering arc of destruction. The young man clad in green, panting from exertion and bleeding profusely from many wounds, was barely able to raise his shield in time. With a sickening crunch, the metal shield was torn asunder, the hero's right arm dangling uselessly at his side.
Letting out a gasp of pain, the hero fell to his knees, sword clattering to the ground. His body was screaming with pain, his every second of existence prolonging his agony. The flames around him crept higher and higher, engulfing the area in a blazing inferno.
The monster advanced upon the weary hero, fangs glinting maliciously as it moved in for the kill, sensing final victory. It paused only feet away from the hero, whose face was wracked with pain as he looked up into the creature's malicious eyes.
"I pity you, Hero. You came all this way, only to be utterly destroyed when it mattered most. Your Princess and Sages cannot help now- you have failed! Failed! Only a cold, friendless death awaits you as your reward." The monster raised its sword above its head, preparing for the killing blow.
In great agony, the hero lifted his head, a steely glint in his fading blue eyes. Spitting a glob of blood at the monster in defiance, the hero formed his hand into a fist- and on the back of his hand, a small, golden triangle began to glow brightly. For a second, the monster chuckled in amusement, until the triangle's light began to pulsate wildly.
In the last seconds of his life, the hero smiled as he saw the monster rear back in fear, its flaming eyes dulled with terror as the light enveloped everything…
Music from the radio wafted through the warm summer night, barely discernible over the chatter emanating from a crowd of ecstatic people, happily drinking, laughing, and talking, glad that their Junior year in high school was finally over. That meant three months of freedom during their summer vacation, and the prospect that when they returned to school, they would be Seniors, the kings of Castle Town High School.
Happily observing the throng from the less crowded patio stood Link Hylia, leaning against the wall whilst grinning from ear to ear as he took gulps of soda. He was tall, with scraggly dark-blonde hair that fell over his eyes in a casual manner; tonight he wore a pair of faded jeans with a white t-shirt. He felt terrific- maybe it was the soda- but after all, how could life get any better? Here he was, partying at his best friend Sheik's house, surrounded by his friends and other happy peers who were celebrating the end of school. His Junior year had been hectic and tedious, thanks in large part to the Hyrule Standardized Achievement Tests, so Link had been happily anticipating hanging out with his friends all summer long.
Speaking of which…
"Hey, dude." A hand clapped him on the shoulder and in a moment the space next to him was occupied by his friend, Sheik. Link had known Sheik for literally all of his life- they'd met in first grade and had just stuck. Sheik had vivid red eyes, was extremely thin, and had a pale complexion- but he was funny and popular at school. He seemed to be the opposite of Link: while Sheik was usually loud and outgoing, Link was the quieter, more "nerdy" one, as described by his friend Malon. Link grinned.
"Great party tonight, Sheik. Are you sure your parents won't care?" Sheik casually brushed off the comment, pouring himself some soda in a plastic cup.
"No, man, I told you that they're in Termina visiting relatives. By the time they get back, I'll have the place cleaned up without any sign of this party." Sheik winked at Link as he took a sip from his drink. "After all, what they don't know won't hurt 'em, right?"
Link laughed, and Sheik grinned too. The good mood in the area seemed to be infectious. "I don't know why," Link said casually, "But tonight has been the most fun I've had in awhile." Sheik chuckled and lightly punched Link's shoulder.
"That's because you spend too much time studying and less time having fun. All work and no play makes you a dull boy, Link. You don't even have a girlfriend!"
"And you do?" Link asked pointedly. Sheik shrugged good-naturedly. "At least I'm working on it. You don't meet girls by sitting at home studying for a history test, you know."
An amused voice interrupted the conversation. "What's this I hear about history tests? Didn't somebody tell you two nerds that school is out?" Link and Sheik grinned as they turned around to face their friend Malon Lon-Lon, who was quietly laughing.
"Malon!" Sheik exclaimed, doing an exaggerated bow. "I'm so glad to see that you were able to make it to my humble establishment!" Malon rolled her eyes but giggled. Malon was another one of Link's friends whom he had known since elementary school. She had fiery red hair and the attitude to boot, but she was very nice and considerate. Aside from these traits, she had an intense passion for horses- in fact, her dad owned a ranch and several horses, which worked out great for Malon, who didn't mind the work involved with rearing and training the horses.
Malon looked around the party, clearly impressed. "Good turnout," she noted, observing the multitude of people hanging out on Sheik's backyard.
"What's that supposed to mean?" Sheik said, half playful, half annoyed.
"It means I'm surprised that you know this many people," Malon teased, making Link laugh and Sheik grin sheepishly.
The radio continued to belch out a steady stream of tunes, which, along with the refreshments, seemed to fuel everyone's energy. This was going to be a wild night, Link thought with anticipation. Sheik and Malon apparently mirrored his thoughts, for Sheik rubbed his hands together eagerly and asked, "Shall we?"
Malon and Link nodded in affirmation, and the three friends plunged into the crowd, which seemed to be one giant entity rather than a mass of giddy partygoers.
What a great way to end the year.
"Liiiiiiink! Liiiiiiiiiiink!"
Link groaned in annoyance as he forced his eyes to open. Sitting on his bed and hovering right over him was his little sister Aryll, smiling mischievously.
"By the goddesses, Aryll," Link said in irritation, checking the clock at his bedside table. "It's noon. Why'd you wake me up so early?" Aryll rolled her eyes.
"Just to make sure you didn't get too drunk and hung-over from the party last night," Aryll said sarcastically. "And to tell you that some of your friends are here." She retreated out of his room, happily skipping back downstairs.
"Just for your information, I did not drink anything alcoholic last night!" Link yelled after Aryll. He heard a chorus of laughter and realized Sheik and Malon must have heard him. Dammit.
Jumping out of bed, Link snatched his clothes off of the floor, dressed, and brushed his teeth. Grabbing his cell phone and wallet, he raced downstairs to the living room where his friends and Aryll were sitting.
"Sup, Link," Sheik greeted him, waving lazily. Malon gave him a polite "Hello" and Aryll smirked at him as she said in a sing-song voice, "Good morning, big brother."
Link rolled his eyes and ruffled Aryll's hair, causing her to squeal and squirm.
"Link, stop messing up my hair!" She whined, as Link laughed and shooed her away. As soon as Aryll had risen from her seat, Link crashed onto it, stifling a yawn.
"Rough night?" Sheik inquired, raising an eyebrow. Link shrugged.
"Aren't you guys tired at all? The party went on until six in the morning, for Din's sake!"
Malon giggled. "That's why we came to ask if you wanted to go to the coffee shop with us. You know, wake up a little and then mope around for the rest of the day? It's summer vacation after all!"
"Alright," Link agreed to the beaming faces of Malon and Sheik, "Some coffee sounds great." As Sheik and Malon got up from the couch and began to walk outside, Link called to his sister.
"Aryll, I'm going out and I'll probably be gone for most of the day. If you need me, you know my cell phone number, right?" Aryll poked her head out from the kitchen and nodded, waving her own cell phone in the air. Link smiled. "See you later then, little sister."
"That reminds me, where are your parents?" Sheik asked conversationally as Link caught up with him and Malon outside of the house.
"They went on an archaeology trip at the Hyrule Castle Ruins, they said that a whole new section had been discovered and needed excavation. It's just me and Aryll for the week," Link said, wincing at the summer heat that enveloped him as the three friends walked to the coffee shop.
Malon let out a playful gasp. "I'm surprised they trust you enough to take care of your little sister!"
"Ha, ha, ha, you're so funny!" Link said sarcastically. "Besides, she can take care of herself anyways. She's only three years younger than me."
"That's right," Sheik mused. "She'll be a Freshmen next year in Castle Town High, right?"
Link nodded an affirmative. "And I'm telling you now Sheik, you'd better not make any moves on her!"
Sheik grinned. "You know, I'm not THAT desperate for a girlfriend." Everyone laughed as they continued their trek, leaving the peaceful suburbs of Castle Town and entering its bustling streets, ignoring the crowds of busy people and noisy traffic jams that surrounded them.
Castle Town was the capital city of Hyrule- it was the largest city as well, with a population of around twenty million people living in it. Hyrule International, the busiest airport in Hyrule and one of the biggest in the world, was constantly bustling with incoming flights and departures. Downtown Castle Town was a metropolis filled with gleaming office buildings countless stories tall, reaching up into the sky like the Termina giants of mythology.
The urbanized section of Castle Town, filled with apartments, street markets, shops, and the like, was always rumbling with activity and noise. Because of its enclosed design, the streets of Castle Town were usually crowded with people pushing against each other to reach seperate destinations. Link was glad that he lived in the suburbs; it meant a bit more peace and quiet than if he lived in the city itself.
"Here we are," Malon said as the group stopped in front of Castle Town Coffee, a two story coffee shop overlooking Castle Town square. It was a fairly big establishment, because it was a popular spot for people to get together and chat over a nice, steaming mug of coffee. From the outside windows, Link could already see that inside it was bustling with activity.
Entering the shop, a burst of cool air relieved the trio, who were hot and tired from the walk in the sun. Faint music could be heard from overhead speakers and the cheerful conversations throughout the area gave the shop a pleasant aura.
Walking up to order drinks, Link was surprised to see Mido Kokiri, a friend from high school, working behind the counter.
"Welcome to Castle Town Coffee, what can I get you for today?" Mido said in a dreary, monotonous voice without looking up. Malon laughed and Sheik stifled a snort.
"I didn't know you worked here!" Link said in amusement as Mido finally looked up from the cash register, his face slowly forming into a smile as he looked at his friends.
"You never asked me," Mido said defensively. He leaned in to whisper. "I hate this place. I wanted a job to get some extra cash but the pay here sucks and the manager is a total bit-"
"MIDO!" Screamed a loud voice, causing Link, Malon, and Sheik to jump up in surprise, whilst Mido merely looked miserable, as if this happened on a daily basis. A fat lady, wearing an absurd amount of lipstick and a horrible dress, sauntered up to berate him.
"You're taking far too long with the customers! What did I tell you yesterday about rapid efficiency? And didn't I tell you to smile and greet them with a cheerful attitude? Remember that your performance reflects on me as well! Do you want me to look like a fool? Do you? Well, DO YOU!?"
"No, Madam Aroma," Mido whispered meekly, looking at his feet. The lady gave him a final, disapproving look before grunting, turning on her heel and leaving him. Link noticed that several other customers and servers had also noticed the lecture, with small smiles tugging at the corners of their lips. Malon and Sheik were doing all they could to stop themselves from erupting into obnoxious laughter.
Mido gave Link a defeated look and wearily asked him, "Have you decided what to order yet?"
"So, what's the plan for the afternoon?" Sheik asked, sipping his scalding drink while he rested his feet on the table.
"Well, let's wait for Mido's shift to end and see if he wants to do anything," Malon said, checking the wall clock. "I suppose we could see a movie or something."
"Or we could all head back to my place and get some quality time playing video games," Sheik laughed. "Remember Dodongo Hunter?"
Malon crinkled her nose. "I personally don't know why you like that game," she said in distaste. "How about you, Link? Link? Hello?"
Link was staring absently in a different direction, apparently not noticing Malon's calls. She waved her hand in front of his face. "Link! What's up?"
"The sky," Sheik interjected sarcastically. Malon lightly slapped him on the shoulder and refocused her attention on Link. Following his gaze, she spotted a young woman at the counter ordering a drink from Mido.
Malon grinned wickedly and signaled to Sheik, who had now become aware of what was distracting Link. "Aww, our little Link is growing up!" Sheik cooed, causing Link to snap back into focus. His face was beet red and he seemed to be embarrassed.
"Uh… sorry guys," Link said, trying to pretend as if nothing had happened. "What were you saying?"
Malon rolled her eyes and stood up, waving to the young woman. "Hey Zelda! Over here!" Link groaned and slid himself into his seat, while Sheik snickered uncontrollably.
Link watched with horror as Zelda turned around to find the caller of her name. Seeing Malon, she waved and began walking over to the table.
"Oh goddesses," Link whispered. He had become attracted to Zelda Harkanian sometime in his Freshmen year, although he never had the guts to say anything. She was beautiful, with flowing golden hair, sparkling blue eyes and an attractive smile always on her lips. She walked in a regal manner that always entranced him when he saw her.
And she was headed right for him.
Don't you like cliffhangers? Anyways, that's all for Chapter 1, feedback is appreciated!