Hello, once again! Pan is bringing you guys another LoZ fic - this time, it's in the Ocarina of Time universe. This was done for the RLt Green Room event. I hope y'all enjoy! :)
Was I not good enough? Was I not the answer he was looking for?
Did he think I would enjoy doing this?
Especially doing it to him…
One of the first to notice me as a young being, then to see him that one fateful day before…
Before…
I paused as to hear the shackles on the door being stripped and the door opening.
Hearing his footprints over the entrance, then jumping onto the platform before…
Thud
I hear him jump onto my personal arena, and as I hear the platform behind him sink, I realize that I have no time left.
I…I can't…
'You fool! Do as what you were told to do!'
My master beckons to me, and I cannot let him down…
This will not be easy for either one of us.
"Yes, Master."
As I escape from my personal arena to begin flying inside my lair, I see him…
My eyes – no, not mine, but my master's.
He deceived me into his own little world – he was the ruler, and I, along with others, acted as his servants. He put a hex on me, and only me, seeing as I was the only one to give him a fight.
A fight that I lost greatly, and because of that, over the years, I have lost touch with the outside, and what I saw as peaceful became vicious.
I was made into a killer – I wasn't one at birth.
I wasn't this monstrosity when I laid my eyes on him…
It was a normal day within the market at Hyrule. Well, normal for all of the other descendants that have others who tend to their needs – and to think, they were probably birthed once.
I mean, I heard this phrase quite a few times…
"Your past life…"
"Great conquer…"
"Everyone feared you..."
I'm only finding the strength now to lift my head from my cage, and all I keep hearing is this bigger being in my past life.
Still, if I had this 'past life,' it was better than what I have been dealing with for a couple of months…
Nobody wants me…
The marketers have tried bargaining – heck, I think I was going to be handed off for free at one point – but nobody want a little helpless creature like myself.
Suddenly, without notice, I felt my cage being rattled from the side, and as I quickly turned, I was face-to-face with a baby.
That little guy couldn't have been older than one, and to think, I somehow attracted him.
His cheeky smile, his sapphire eyes beaming at me – I felt important.
He reached his arms into my cage, and thrusting his hands towards me, wanting me to embrace.
"Link!"
I heard, and then saw, a woman approaching us – the boy's mother, stern at first, lightened up by the time she came over.
"Aha! I see we could have a potential buyer–"
My so-called owner beckoned with glee as she approached the cage…he wanted me out, but who could blame him? I've been intact for a long while, and this baby gave me a sparkle of hope.
"Oh, no thank you, I'm only here to retrieve my son."
And with that, the baby's expression went from glee to heart-broken.
Without hesitation, I grabbed his hands, and in an instant, he laughed.
He wanted me and I wanted him – why the lady didn't see that was puzzling to say the least.
"Yes, you like the little pet, don't you, sweetie? I'm sorry but…we can't get him."
Link, ever so slowly, let go of my hands and walked towards his mother, who proceeded to pick him up, and off they went.
As he was peeking over her shoulders, our eyes connected.
It was then, at that moment, that I know I had to make my leave.
'I…I remember you.'
Link couldn't bring himself to fight the dragon. He understood why Volvagia needed to be killed. He needed to move on to save Zelda, and if a fire-breathing creature was in his way, he would do it…
But Link remembers.
As Volvagia exhaled fire towards the Hylian, the young man did not flinch.
"Link, are you crazy!"
He heard his companion, Navi, loud and clear, but as the dragon made his way back into the pit, his mind went racing back.
Not back to the marketplace, but to a time much more close…
"C'mon, you've escaped a simple hug – it's not like you just killed a huge dodongo recently or something?"
"But Navi, Darmani's little pat–"
"Yeah, yeah, it probably hurt a bit. Now, will you quit whining – we have to ascent up to the top of Death Mountain to meet with the Great Fairy now."
Rubbing his head, which was still sore, Link obeyed his fairy and slowly made his way to the top. Had it not been for those magma-rocks falling from the sky, Link would have made it much sooner.
Ignoring the owl on the sign, Link and Navi made their way into the Great Fairy Fountain, and after earning a magic spell, the duo decided to talk to the owl, who offered them a much-needed lift back to Kakariko.
Before Link could grab onto the owl's talons, however, he heard someone…
"Link."
The young boy looked around – certainly, it wasn't Navi calling for him…
"Link!"
…Now the fairy called out to him.
"Great – we missed our ride. What were you doing?"
Not caring about the free lift, Link turned towards the entrance opposite to that of the fountain. What he saw left him speechless.
"Link."
"I…I can't believe it. It's you!"
The little dragon – not as little as before, growing a couple of feet – was beaming as he was reunited with a familiar face.
Beaming bright as ever, Link and the dragon embraced. The young boy didn't care for the fact that he would reek of charcoal and smoke for the next couple of days – the pet he always wanted had come back.
"You managed to escape, didn't you?"
The dragon nodded his head, giving off a little smile.
"That's great! Hey, Navi, I never told you about the time when–"
"Link, I think we need to go."
"Huh? But Navi, we just reunited, and–"
"Link…you don't understand now, but you will sooner than later. Now, say goodbye."
"…Can I at least see his new home?"
The fairy sighed. "Fine, but only for a short second – you'll die if you stay in there any longer."
"Fine."
Looking down at the dragon, still in embrace, Link said, "Sorry, but I have to go now."
Just like déjà vu, the two broke apart, and after a few seconds of seeing the crater of Death Mountain, Link and Navi made their way out – and after a surprise visit from the owl, they finally got their lift. Looking back at the volcano once more, Link felt horrid – he remembered the young dragon, he remembers that day very clear. Why couldn't Navi listen to him? Why did Navi tell him to leave his long-wanted pet? Most importantly, what did Navi mean about the young Hylian knowing sooner than later?
Reaching for his Megaton Hammer, Link looked around sharply.
"Aha!"
A short burst of fire came out of one of the pits, and a short second later, Volvagia emerged.
'Do it, Link, just do it!'
He obeyed his conscience, and running towards the dragon, he swiped at his head with the hammer.
A sharp cry escaped Volvagia mouth, and after a second hit, the dragon escaped into the pit.
"There – seems simple, yes?"
He heard Navi's words of encouragement, but they didn't feel encouraging at the time.
"Why can't he just–"
Before Link could finish, Volvagia popped out from another pit and started to exhale fire as the monster chased the Hylian.
"It's me, remember!"
"Link!"
He ignored his companion's cry. "Don't you remember?"
Volvagia roared, and as Link heard it, he was hoping that the dragon was saying 'yes.'
Unbeknownst to the young man, the dragon was telling him that.
'Yes, I do remember…'
"There you are my little demon."
I saw Ganondorf grimacing as he made his way onto my main platform. I hated that look – we have gotten to known each other over a good stretch now, but I feel that he's using me for something more sinister..
"What…what do you–?"
"Simple – I want you to join my fleet. You are that instinct I have always waited to see."
All those statements that I have heard of before – "Great conquer," "…fearing you," –now resonated at that moment.
"Was I a–"
"Yes, you were," Ganondorf said, knowing where the question would lead. "You slayed every Goron you could…well, all but one. You are still feared by many – the Gorons don't realize how easy they had it with King Dodongo and his fleet. If they think he was an issue, I would love to see their reaction when I tell them that you are back as the true superior being of Death Mountain."
Suddenly, it clicked – I remembered it all. I remember who I was…and what I hated to return to.
"I…I can't. I refuse to join. That was me back then and I…I…"
"What, you want a young Hylian to win? You want him to rule over your domain!"
Young Hylian…
That's him – the boy!
"If that means–"
"You have no say!"
I felt that, right there, that that was the last straw. I couldn't get a word out without him ordering me around, like I was below him. If I was that superior being right now, I would kill him.
"I revived you – did you forget that? I let you live your little life of normalcy, but I always have the final say. Now is the time you return to your former self."
My eyes – my emerald eyes – shot daggers at him.
I rose from the pit and charged…
But in a split second, I was shot with one of his energy balls.
He laughed.
"Don't play pretty with me."
And in that instant, when he raised his hand towards me, I felt his control taking over me. My eyes, once open and vivid, were now closed off from the world. What used to be bright emeralds now were dull and jagged sockets of green.
These weren't mine. I wasn't meant to kill again.
How foolish was I to not see this…
If I could reach out to Link, to tell him what is to come, I would.
I would hope, though, that he would hear me.
I hope that he doesn't see me as something different.
…I hope, that when everything is done, when we kill Ganondorf…that we can remain close.
Another pop-up, another whack, another cry…
Volvagia grabbed his head – now throbbing due to the hits from the hammer – and down he went into the pit. When he submerged, he headed towards the top, and rubbing his body along the roof, boulders started to fall.
"Link, onto the side!"
Listening to Navi, the young man raced over and scaled down the side. Holding on, he allowed the rocks to fall. Hearing the dragon's roar only made Link angrier.
"Why!" Link bellowed as he hit the side of the platform.
"He's evil–"
"He's not, Navi – he's still in there, I know it!"
As Volvagia retreated back into another pit, Link scaled back up to the top; after three short bursts of fire sprouted out from three different pits, Volvagia emerged in the center.
"Finish him!"
Navi's command fell on deaf ears.
The two locked eyes, and in an instant, they were taken back…
To the marketplace…
To after slaying King Dodongo…
Link saw the hurt in the dragon's eyes – though there were thick emeralds, he saw through them.
He saw the same emerald eyes that lit up when they reunited.
He heard the small voice of 'Link' calling out to him.
A small creature, a big heart – back then, if he knew that letting Volvagia go would mean this occurring, Link would have kept him.
Walking over to the dragon, he lifted his hammer one last time.
Volvagia swiped his hands toward the human, toward the weapon…
Maybe it was his way to say, 'I understand,' and 'I don't want to hurt you.'
But Link knew that the only way to save Zelda was to awaken the Sage of Fire, and the only way to do that was to kill the evil that threatened Death Mountain – not only Death Mountain, but possibly Kakariko, and maybe Hyrule…
With a downswing, Link struck Volvagia, as another cry rang out from the enemy.
Dropping his hammer, Link reached for his sword. Walking over to Volvagia once more – seeing him shaken, his hands grabbing his head, clearly in pain – the Hylian managed to save the tears.
I saw the pain in his eyes…
As he stood above me, sword in hand, I saw regret.
He didn't want to, but he had no other choice.
I felt a sharp pain shooting throughout my body, and it was then that I realize that I have been defeated once again.
As I cried out once more in agony…
As I disappeared before submerging…
As I turned into ash, and my head fell towards Link's feet…
I saw his eyes, and I saw tears.
Goodbye; I wish it didn't end like this. I wish we had more time.
Go now – defeat Ganondorf, save Hyrule…and do it, in a small way, for me.
There you have it. I hope everyone liked my little spin on things, and if anyone is confused, a PM will do. Once again, thanks for reading, and until next time, Pantastic is out! :)