BlueShoals Author Notes:

I'm not new to writing, but this is my first actual submission, as far as fanfiction.

This story takes place after Majora's Mask. He'sonly about 15 Years old. Link is portrayed as being much more powerful than he would be in the game. I choose this because of the obvious potential for action/adventure that it has. In this fic, he's equipped with a lot of extra equipment that doesn't exist in the games. He's also a lot more magically adept, and a lot more physically powerful. You'll see what I mean.

This is going to be a mature fic, violence, language, and all that... I'm hoping to make tasteful, however, for the sake of the story. The violence and language is there for the story, not just because I want that stuff in there. Also, there will be room for romance, if the story needs to go there.

Obviously, The Legend of Zelda belongs to Nintendo.

There are many people, places, and things that are my creation, so this fic is mine.

Lastly:

Italics are used when a character, usually Link, is thinking.

Prologue

After being trapped in Termina for months after the Skullkid's attack, Link had finally found a way out, which required taking apart the most complex inner workings of the giant machinery underneath Clock Town.

Tackling this gargantuan task took almost a year. During this time, he did little beside training and researching, increasing his experience in magic and skills. He had a strong connection with the people around him, but he knew he'd have to leave them sooner or later, and isolated himself, until he had constructed a suitable exit, without disturbing the rhythm of the clock above.

Sealing the entrance behind him, he trekked the mysterious woods he'd once traversed to get here. It didn't take long before the smooth ground of the woods shifted suddenly to mountainous terrain, and the trees gradually blended into the species of tree Link liked better, the type you found in the mountains. Epona had no trouble keeping her pace up. She was now as swift as a mountain goat on the steepest of slopes. Link had to train her deep within the mountains of Termina to get her in top shape.

Link kept a close eye out for an outcropping in the mountains to camp out on. His eyes were beginning to lose focus from a whole day of navigating up and down steep rocky slopes. They slid back and forth, a lazy scan here, a drooping glance there, anywhere would do… He was beginning to give up, and just plop down and camp right where they were.

He gasped, eyelids flying open, and jumped off his horse before he even knew what he gasped and jumped at. Even Epona caught up to him before his mind did. A cave, large and dark and dank, was such a comfort to him, he sighed so heavily he almost oozed into the ground.

Further inspection revealed that the cave ran deep into the ground, and Link, shrugging off his fatigue, set off to explore, as he always did. He left Epona behind, as he always did, and when he was presented with a crossroads, he took the left one first to keep his exploration systematic, as he always did. Countless crossroads, and countless left-turns later, he found himself at a classic, dungeon-style, vertically-sliding door.

A door? In a cave?

A smirk tugged at his mouth, as he laid his hands firmly on the door, gave it a push, and watched as the door swiftly rose and let him pass with a dusty SHUNK.

He looked back, worried about leaving behind Epona, but dismissed the idea and passed through the door.

As he heard the door fall solidly back into place, he caught only a glimpse of a small room, and a slight glint of an object in the center of it. After the door fell, however, the room was pitch black.

He stood still, reaching in his tunic for something to light the room, but was pushed off his feet by a strong gust of wind. He stretched out his hands to keep himself from impacting the wall he knew he'd hit in such a small room, but could feel nothing. He just kept flying forward through the wind and through the darkness.

After a few seconds, he felt his feet scrape across a slippery stone surface, summoned his Iron Boots, and scraped to a stop as the gusts subsided. The last gust brought with it a stench that, by normal standards, would have been truly unbearable, but Link had no trouble with it. The winds stopped after that.

Light… Light…

Link made a few arcane gestures with his right hand, while slowly unsheathing his sword with his left. A small flame burst into life in his hand, crackling violently with the volatile gases in the air.

The gases of a sewer, he realized. Link saw the stream of sewage to his left, and was glad he stayed as still as he did. He tensed his arm, lowering it steadily, causing the magical flame to grow larger, bright enough to illuminate more of his surroundings.

The tunnel curved out of sight at both ends, and there were no other entrances or exits.

Wait… What? No exi-

Link spun to reach for the door that was supposed to be behind him, and instead found a small inlet, containing what seemed to be a small section of a giant clockwork machine.

No door. Just cogs and wheels, bolts and nuts.

Link flicked the ball of fire into the air above him, and took off down the tunnel in a sprint. The ball of fire fell into place behind him, trailing him, and providing light for his path. This was one of the many tricks Link had learned with his magic. He used another, just as he saw a path, and some light, across the wide river of sewage.

He leapt toward the other side, pulling out his hookshot, and summoning his Hover Boots. As he slid just above the surface of the putrid liquid, his hookshot plunged deep into the stone, and he flew around the corner at breakneck speed, releasing the hookshot as he headed down the next corridor. Just as he was beginning to slow down, he thrust his hand forward, palm open, and let out a shout as the surface of the sewage iced over. As he continued toward the light, he used a combination of ice and wind spells, as well as the spring-loaded power of the hookshot to propel him at an insane speed.

This wasn't for fun, as anyone who looked at his face could see. He was in absolute focus. He needed to find out where he was, and more importantly, he needed to get Epona back.

His thoughts flashed with blinding guilt and despair at the thought of losing Epona again. Before he knew it, he lost that focus, slid to a halt, walked off of the ice, and lowered down onto the cold, wet stone floor. His chest tightened, and his eyes watered, and he cursed himself for having delved into that cave. He could have been with Epona, his only friend, feeding her carrots, talking, just having a nice time.

Damnit…

He reached into one of his tunic's pockets, pulling out a carrot. He sighed, and slowly stood up. As he slid the carrot back into his pocket, he heard a rasping SHINK sound. He tilted his head, and a bewildered look popped onto his face.

Eh? Carrots don't make that sound when-

"You there! Don't move! You're under arrest for entering a forbidden area!"

Link turned toward the man, ignoring his request to keep still. He was a classic town guard. Link slowly began to raise his hands.

"Nonono… Don't raise your hands, keep absolutely still. I know what you magic-users can do. Just walk toward me slowly," the guard then added sarcastically, "before the ice melts."

Forbidden area? That sucks. I need to explore this place to find a way out… Gunna have to talk to whoever's in charge… hope he's a nice guy.

Link stepped onto the ice, gave himself a nudge, and slid ever-so-slowly to the other side, so as not to alarm this obviously edgy guard.

They walked down the corridor, straight to what Link could see was an exit ladder. He finally spoke quietly to the guard, "Hmm… Sorry. I didn't know."

The guard chuckled, "You seem like a nice guy, but that story won't fly. You'll just have to spend your time. It's nothing big. If you had tried to run away, then you'd be in trouble."

Link was glad he didn't get any trouble from this guard. Normally, guards freak out around him, and he ends up putting their lights out.

Link was in a daze, and didn't notice the guard slapping manacles on him, until it was too late.

"Eh? What?" Link looked at the guard with a mixture of helplessness, and annoyance.

"Ha, I said you seemed like a nice guy, but I'm not gunna let my guard down because of that. I have to get you to the station. Period."

Damn… I can't go there… I need to get straight to work on finding Epona… Hmm… Think…

The guard cleared his throat, "Okay… Here we go… Up the ladder."

He attached another set of cuffs to Link, with one end attached to his own arm, and ordered him up the ladder.

"No funny business."

We'll see about that, he thought as he climbed, that'll depend on how crowded it is out there.

Link poked his head out to see that he was in the middle of the guard station. Surrounded by grinning guards, and seeing the grinning prisoners, in their cells, he sighed and smiled a helpless smile at the irony of it all.

Oh well…

The guards stamped him with ink on his palms, uncuffed him, and shoved him into an empty cell. Link, sensing that the bars were solid, that the place was carefully guarded, and that the ink on his palms inhibited his magic somewhat, simply slumped into the bed provided in his cell, and slept all night long.

Okay, that ends the prologue. My hope with this fic is to really be able to describe the action in a nice fluid way.

In the next chapter, Link visits one of his recurring dreams of the past.

If you like the way I write, or have some pointers for me, gimme a review! I'd be happy to hear from you!