This is a rewrite of A Wish for a Better Life, a terrible unfinished story that I gave up on years ago. There are so many differences to this one, that it could almost be considered an entirely different story, if not for the similar plot that will unfold in later chapters, as well as the characters that were in the old version. I've considered deleting the other story, but I'm far too stubborn to do so, so it is still up for viewing, if you're brave enough to read such monstrous crap. Anyways, this is the rewrite and is a LinkxOC story, with some minor pairings too. I've had this one up for quite a while and have decided to re-edit it.
Enjoy.
Chapter I
Strange Sights
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I always thought my life was different from others. That I had something unique happening to me that no one else would ever have.
I was just being foolish.
I knew deep down that my life was just the same as any other Canadian teenage girl. I just didn't want to admit it. I didn't want to be like them.
Have you ever cried in bed at night? I would ask.
Of course. They would say.
Have you ever lost a friend from an argument? I would inquire.
Yes. They would reply.
No matter how hard I try, I just can't seem to get away from this dull life. With everything repeating all the time, how could I? I'd just get stuck in the same situation over and over again. Like, for instance, No! I didn't do my homework last night! I'm in big trouble! That one irritates me too much.
So I had finally decided that everything that happened to me, happened to everyone else. That all the problems that I had to face, were the same as the ones that they were facing.
Of course this meant that I thought we all had the same childhood.
Again, I was very foolish.
"Emily-Anna, my dear grand-daughter, I would like to give this to you as an early birthday gift. I will be gone for a while, so I won't be here for your birthday," my grandmother said to me, as she held out a small orange box. She placed it gently in my hands and smiled, green eyes shinning.
"What is it?" I asked in an excited voice.
She chuckled, "Open it and find out, my dear."
My light blue eyes widened as I removed the lid from the box. A necklace made of what looked like real gold, shined in the light from the lamp behind me. Though it wasn't just an ordinary necklace like the ones that you would see at jewelry stores. It was a medallion. Strange symbols were engraved along the edge of the medallion in silver, and in its center was a silver pentagram. Other than that, the chain and the rest of the necklace was all gold.
"Wow..." I said in astonishment. "This is really pretty, Grandma! I love it!" I quickly took the gift out of the box and placed it around my neck.
"Happy seventh birthday, Emily-Anna!" my grandmother embraced me into a warm hug, and I hugged her back.
"Thank you, Grandma!" I smiled, "I can't wait to show this to all my friends!"
She smiled, "I'm happy that you like it. But, please promise me something, Emily," she began. I only looked up at her in curiosity. "Please, whatever you do, do not lose that neckless. Keep it by your side at all times and do not ever give it away."
"I promise," I said, smiling. I didn't want Grandma to leave. She was so amazing and she had all kinds of weird antiques. I guess I'll just have to wait for her to come back, I thought to myself as we began to get ready to go to the park.
But she never did come back...
"Emily-Anna! Come down for supper!" a female voice shouted.
I glanced up from my novel that I had been staring at, but not reading, for a couple of hours. That older female voice could only belong to one person.
"I'll be right there, Mom!" I called out in a rough voice. I had been home from school for the past two days because of an awful cold that I had caught from a friend. So the only other person's voice that I had been hearing for the past couple days was my mother's.
Finally gathering the energy to move from my spot on my small twin-bed, I managed to stand up and yawn, all of this requiring strength that I currently lacked. But, ignoring that fact, I stepped forward and nearly tripped from the numb feeling that had spread through my legs. "Dammit!" I cursed, as I made a struggling attempt to grasp my dresser to stop me from falling. "My legs are asleep!" As expected from someone who has been lounging on a bed for the past three hours. "Shut up," I growled, exiting through my dark wooden bedroom door. "Stupid conscience...won't leave me alone..." I muttered.
It's not that I'm crazy or delirious or anything. It's just that being cooped up in a small house with absolutely no other human contact besides from my own mother, really gives me the desire to not be alone whatsoever. But that doesn't mean that I'm going to hang out with my mom. No, she's the real crazy one here. Being alone for what feels like forever has made my conscience develop an irritating and nagging voice that won't shut up. I know that it's only my own thoughts that I'm hearing, but still, it's annoying.
I finally managed to come to the bottom floor of my house, after clinging on to the railing for support because of my stupid legs that are still asleep. The strong smell of sauce and meat reached me, as I walked into the cramped kitchen. The white table took up most of the room in the small kitchen, as well did the oak wood cupboards and cabinets. I don't know why Mother insisted on such massive furniture for such a small kitchen. Maybe it was because of the ugly purple and white stripped walls and the yellow tiled floor.
"Leftover...spaghetti...again..." I said in slight disgust. Mom's been serving the same thing for almost five days now.
"Don't be such a pessimist, Emily-Anna! What did I tell you about lacking a positive attitude? You'll never be successful in life if you continue to be like that," she frowned, pointing the wooden serving spoon in her hand at me. I just rolled my eyes.
Mother sat down across from me and brushed a long strand of brown hair out of her face. She smiled at me in sort of an odd way, before picking up her fork. "Eat. Or no TV for you," she said, before taking a bite of her meal.
I sighed. This day better end soon...
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Dark stormy clouds covered the sky like a giant blanket, giving the land below it a dark appearance. The cold wind blew fiercely along the nearly dead trees and grass, breaking the long lasting silence that lingered through the air for so long. Though, it always looked this way. It always looked like a heavy storm was approaching, but it never did. The Sun hadn't shown itself in these lands for more than a century, and that was why every blade of grass, every flower, every tree leaf, had withered away.
This never mattered to the creatures that lurked within these lands. As long as they had a master to serve, they would never die like the rest of the living things had. As long as they had him to guide them, they would not give in to the never ending darkness, known only as death.
"For so long have I been waiting for the time to come," a tall cloaked figure said, as it stood in the eerie shadows that rested throughout the large room. "The long awaited moment is edging closer by the day, and soon it will be time to strike."
"So what are you going to do in the meantime, my Lord?" said another figure.
"What am I going to do in the meantime? I thought it was obvious? You and I both have our parts to play in the upcoming moment. The Goddesses have foretold the day, and we are needed to ensure that nothing alters the ancient scripts," came the first figure's reply.
"We?"
"Yes. You are my most loyal and trustworthy right-hand man yet to come. I need your cooperation in this for it to work," came the gruff reply of the tall figure.
"What is it you wish me to do, my Lord?" the other said, stepping out of the shadows and into the little bit of light there was.
"You must find the girl, to befriend her, and gain her trust." The figure lowered his gaze to meet that of his inferior, steely glint in his eyes, "It is crucial to our operation that she suspects nothing of you."
The figure eyed his master with hesitation, but nonetheless replied with a small nod of the head, "Yes, my Lord."
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"Emm, Emm, Emm! You're finally back! YAAAAAAYY!" That loud voice which shrieked with happiness, was way too familiar to my ears, but before I could turn around to see the owner of the high pitched voice, a pair of peachy white arms embraced me from behind in a death-gripping hug. Or as my internet browsing obsessed friends would like to call it...a glomp.
"Sophie...I can't...breath!" I choked out between gasps.
"Oh, sorry." Her grip loosened slightly, as she giggled into my shoulder, "I missed you, Emm-Emm! Kartney said you were sick and wouldn't be coming to school! It's only been two days, but man, does it ever get boring without you!"
I took the time to breath in deeply after almost being choked to death, and grabbed Sophie's wrists, trying to pry her off. "Well, that doesn't mean you have to give me a life-threatening hug!" I exclaimed, still attempting to pull the strawberry blonde off of me. But for a scrawny girl, Sophie was quite strong.
"Looks like the two lovers are sharing one of their moments again," came a cool voice.
I looked up, but once I did, I felt my stomach churn, and my face go red. "You," I spat the word out like venom, and glared at the tall, slim boy that stood in front of me in the crowded hallway.
"Oh, is that really the way to greet a friend, especially after not seeing each other in two days?" he said, a smirk playing at his lips.
"Jace," I coldly addressed the blonde boy, "if you're really my friend, then you wouldn't insult me, and you'd know that hugging-"
"Glomping," Sophie corrected.
"Glomping...is very common amongst my friends. No matter the gender," I said in a matter-of-fact-way.
"But Jace IS our friend, Emm-Emm! I still don't know why you don't like each other," Sophie said, finally letting go of me, and skipping off down the hallway. "Well, see ya! I got to get to class!"
"What the hell, you jerk!" I growled, slapping Jace on the head. "You very well know that I'm not into that sort of thing! I'm straight!"
Jace laughed as if I hadn't even hit him and shoved his hands down his jean pockets, "Yeah, but you know, Sophie isn't."
I scoffed, as we walked down the hall towards our destined class, history, and folded my arms across my white blouse covered chest, "Yes, but it's not like she's coming on to me! We've been friends since first grade, and I even know who she likes! So don't joke about those kind of things. She's our friend, no matter what her gender preference is."
"Well, I just thought you'd be a bit more uncomfortable around her, is all."
"What's there to be uncomfortable about?" I snapped. "Even if she did like me, I couldn't return her feelings, not just because I'm straight, but because relationships are a waste of time!" As if I wasn't angry enough, his response almost made the frown on my face hurt.
"Why? Is it because of a past relationship that makes you feel this way?" He looked at me and his expression darkened to a more serious one, "Or...is it because a certain someone wouldn't return your feelings?"
And that's when my heart sank. This feeling that tore at my heart was one of the things that brought me to my conclusion. That I was no different then any other teenage girl. That my life was filled with the same situations and heartbreaks as anyone else. That everything that happened to me, happened to them.
I could already feel the tears welling up in my eyes at the sudden memory, the day of heartbreak and realization. There was no way I could let anyone see me cry, especially Jace. I couldn't possibly let him know about my sensitivity.
"I-I have to go...to the washroom...bye," I muttered, walking off in the opposite direction, leaving an amused Jace behind.
I wanted to be alone, and hoped that the washroom would be empty, but my hopes died once I entered the white tiled room.
"Kartney?" I said softly, looking at the tall brunette leaning over the counter, brushing her long locks of hair. My best friend.
She abruptly stopped brushing her hair and turned around, still leaning over the counter. Her chocolate brown eyes widened at the realization, and a large smile graced her lips, "Emm!" she exclaimed, and in the blink of an eye, she was hugging me. "Hey, you're back! How're you feeling?" she said, letting go and stepping back.
"Okay, I guess," I forced myself to smile, and shoved my previous thoughts at the back of my head.
"Yeah, you sound much better too since the last time I saw you." Kartney looked down at her watch and frowned, "I gotta go. I have a meeting with the school council in five minutes and I need to get my stuff from my locker. I'll see you later, Emm. Oh, and remember to come have lunch with our group by the river," she smiled, quickly exiting the room.
"Yeah..."
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The buzzing sound of a bell rang out through the chilly air, signaling the students of West Side High School dismissal for the day. Though excitement and chatter followed the students out of the large brick building, it surely seemed to calm down an ounce once each student managed to file out of the crowded hall and into the chilly air of mid October. For that it seemed almost impossible for any student to not notice, no matter how caught up they were in a conversation amongst their friends, the dark clouded sky looming above them in almost a threatening way, so dark that any one unaware of the time of day would think it was midnight. The only logical explanation to the sky's sudden dark appearance was that a storm was coming...or so the people who now walked on the streets in the small town would think... Though in reality, the hidden meaning behind it all was only discovered by one bystander...one tall, slim boy with messy locks of blond hair, who stood away from the moving crowd, smiling at the sight.
With a small chuckle, the boy's smile turned into a smirk, before his forest green eyes darkened. "Now's the time," he said, folding his arms across his chest.
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I rushed out of the school building in a panic. My science class partner had borrowed my book and hadn't returned it, which I needed for homework, and I had to get home soon to get ready for work. What was I to do? I was in such a hurry, that I nearly lost my footing, as I dashed out onto the school yard, looking for any signs of my science partner. And it wasn't helping that my shoulder length, red-brown hair was blowing harshly in my face from the howling winds that had picked up in the air. I struggled to pull my hair back out of my face while frantically looking around. I was so distracted, that I didn't even realise that I had walked right into someone...until a pair of strong arms wrapped themselves around me.
"Uwaah...?" I breathed, my blue eyes widening at the sudden sight.
"Emm, are you okay?" Jace said, looking down at me with worried eyes.
I couldn't speak. To have someone like Jace hug me...let alone worry about my well being was way too strange. He was cocky, a smart ass, witty, careless, and always insulting me. So what on earth...?
"We gotta get you out of this wind. You still have a bit of a cold, right? C'mon," Jace quickly released his hold on me, and grabbed my wrist, pulling me towards the back of the school.
My body felt numb, as he dragged me to shelter from the harsh wind. Surprisingly, I suddenly felt very warm, even though the air was frigid. What's happening to me? I quickly shoved the thought to the back of my mind. I had to say something to the jerk in front of me, or else he'd end up doing something stupid.
"W-what the hell, Jace?" I yelled. "What the hell are you doing? Let go!" I frantically tried to pry his hand off of my wrist, but the jerk ignored it and continued walking. "Goddammit, Jace! Don't make me kick you where it hurts!" I growled, clawing at his wrist now.
"Shut up," Jace said in a monotone voice, glancing back at me with cold eyes. "I have to show you something important, so shut up."
My eyebrows furrowed, and I opened my mouth to yell at him for telling me to shut up, but decided against it. My throat was already hurting enough.
I looked down at the ground that I was being forced to walk across, and then noticed something. My eyes darted up, scanning the area through my messy hair which blew in my face, and saw something that I never thought I'd see in my entire life. Behind me, off in the distance, was the high school and lake behind it. But further from the school and closer to me, the dark grass slowly became clumps of moss and dirt, as we walked farther away from the building. Some flowers started to appear, some of which I'd never seen. Though the one thing that really caught my attention once my eyes left the ground and looked ahead, was the large oak trees and tall stems of grass that towered over us. I glanced farther ahead, but only saw more large trees and strange plants. Where was I? As I recall, there was no forest near our school. I turned around, only seeing more trees. There were no buildings in sight.
"What happened to the school? Where are we? Where are you taking me?" I panicked, claustrophobia that I didn't know I had finally kicking in.
"You'll see," was all he said, as he kept calmly walking forward through the narrow path which began to form.
I narrowed my eyes at him, "How can I trust someone like you?"
I couldn't see it, but I knew that he was smirking. "You don't," he said, ending our short conversation with me confused and angered.
A dizzy feeling came over me, and I found myself struggling to walk straight, while I was quickly being led through the dense forest.
It felt like an hour had went by, but as I looked at my watch, we had only been walking for 15 minutes. "Jace," I sighed in annoyance, "for the last time. Let. Go. Of. My. Wrist!" My eyebrows raised when his hand started to let go of my wrist. Is he actually listening to me for once? However, my moment of confusion turned to anger, as he moved his hand from my wrist to my hand. "Ugh, figures you'd do something like that," I muttered.
He glanced back at me with a smirk playing at his lips. "We're almost there," he said.
"Almost where?" I frowned. Seriously, I'll be late for work because of him.
"You'll see," he repeated.
"Grrr..." That's it. I give up. It's impossible to get any info out of him.
My eyes widened as I looked at my surroundings. The strange forest started to end not too far from where I was being dragged along, and the area seemed to get brighter. The grass became thicker, and there were fewer trees as we walked further. Finally, the forest ended, and the sun, in all it's shinning glory, came into view, causing me to squint.
If this was a cartoon, then my jaw would have surely dropped, for that what I saw was the most breath-taking scenery I had ever laid my eyes upon. Only a few feet away from us was a cliff, with an enormous lake surrounded by mountains off in the distance. I wasn't too sure, but past the fog covered mountains was what looked like the faint outline of a castle.
"What do you think, Emm?" Jace grinned, looking back at me from where he stood. I didn't even notice that he had let go of my hand.
"Uh..." it was surprisingly hard to avert my attention from the view to him. "Wh-where...where are we...?" I managed to choke out.
Jace smiled and gestured his arm to the view in front of us. "Well, Emm," he said, clearly trying to stop himself from smirking, "We're in Hyrule."
