Frozen

by D-Chan4

Thrown into another world by Leena's betrayal Link seeks to find his way home and take his revenge. The friends, enemies, and deities he meets on the way could prove to be his undoing.

Frozen: Chapter 1

Rating: PG - 13 (Mature Language and Future Content)

Summary : Thrown into another world by Leena's betrayal Link seeks to find his way home and take his revenge. The friends, enemies, and deities he meets on the way could prove to be his undoing.

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Link looked about, frowning . The trip had been effortless. One moment his ears were deafened by the roaring of wind, then there was simply quiet. A quiet he was all too familiar with. The chirping of birds and shifting of leaves in the wind gently broke the silence. He was home. Where home had been before he became a hero. He opened his eyes fully expecting to see the Lost Woods, or even the entrance to the Forest Temple. He frowned. 'Out of luck,' he thought. As he looked about he saw the trees were similar to the leafy oaks he was accustomed to, but they where paler. They looked as though they were slightly sick, but not yet dying.

Had the backstabbing Heroine succeeded in sending him beyond a world he knew? The pain in his hand made itself known once more, causing him to drop his sword. He was surprised it had made the trip with him. He watched his Legendary Master Sword fall into the dead leaves and grass, landing right on top of Leena's, tossed aside. He sighed. As he waved his injured hand in front of him, his frown deepened at the gash in his palm.

The sudden silence of chirping made him smile. He knew the birds were responding to his sudden and unnatural presences in the area. Perhaps though he thought he was in her world's Lost Woods or some such, he was nowhere near if the forest did not think him a friend. All the time he had lived with the Korirko people he was never truly one of them. The forest had considered him friend. He wondered how much the Deku Tree's influence had been a part of that.

The pain spiked in his hand as he reached down to grab his sword. For a moment he considered leaving Leena's damnable blade where it lay, but he had more sense than that. The wrong person getting his or her hands on anyone's Master Sword was never a good thing. With a sigh and a wince he picked up her sword. He stared down at the placid weapon bewildered.

It did not vibrate, protest, or cause him any pain as he tied it to his waist. He was beginning to doubt it was even her sword. Why would her sword choose him now? Perhaps it picked the nearest viable Hero. If he was truly in another world, he was the only choice.

A branch snapped nearby alerting him of someone's presence. He frowned looking about. His keen senses found nothing in the dense forest. After checking to make sure the ties on his sword were good, he flexed his hand and reached into his pouch for a potion. Anything to stem the throbbing pain radiating from his injured palm and fingers.

"Run!" came a warning call. He looked up startled by the voice. He found no body to match it, however he was greeted with the sight of a monster wrapped around a tree only a few feet away. The grotesque green rotting thing. A Deku Baba. Unlike those in the Forests of his home, this one looked close to dead, its head slinging around on a vine spine. The spine itself clung to the tree like a spider. The monster chewed at the air trying to get a grip on his face.

He blinked, unsure as to who had said run and why. Deku Babas were harmless as long as you kept out of range. He watched it swing wildly back and forth on the tree trunk. Link smirked ignoring it reaching into his pouch once more. "You fool! RUN!" The voice insisted again. A suddenly flurry of leaves entered his vision. Just as a white and blue blur dropped into his vision, he saw the Baba sling itself from its nesting tree to one closer to him. A stunned Link watched in awe as vine legs extended reaching for the targeted tree. He was suddenly shoved onto his back by whatever was in front of him.

"It can move!" He exclaimed, pushing the thing that had knocked him over off him. Spinning onto his belly, his hand stinging from the dirt and grass as it filled his wounds, he pushed himself up. He had to get away from the Babas if it could move. He needed time enough to get out of range and prepare a weapon … or just run.

"You are dense aren't you? Keep moving, where there is one, ten more are sure to be nesting," The mysterious voice insisted, following close behind him yet making hardly any sounds. He looked over his shoulder to find no one, only the Babas preparing for another leap. He noticed the odd signal it gave, a weird shaking of its head as though it were gathering the urge to leap. Looking forward once more he dashed directly away from the Babas.

"No! This way," The voice insisted coming from his right, "there is an encampment up ahead dedicated to her Lady Imariz." He chanced a look up only to see a vivid set of red eyes. He didn't bother taking a good look at the Sheikah, or at least what he hoped was a Sheikah. The thing shot off the branch it had been roosting on. He wasn't sure now if he was chasing the would-be Sheikah, or properly running from the babas, but the forest was a blur. He could hear the ghastly chuckles from stray poes and the natural sounds of the forest that had picked up again.
He stopped for a moment to look back. It was confusing seeing the group of babas that had appeared. Five now did the warning flick of their rotting heads. They seemed to know which trees their fellow monsters were targeting, as no two attempted to share a trunk. A tree that he was standing near sprang to life. A babas took a swing at him, it's teeth just missing his face. He was greeted with the foul stench of the creature's rotten breath, and spittle that made his skin itch.

He spun on his feet once more chasing the urging voice. "This way, Hero," The voice ushered again from above the tree branches. How the babas did not eat the owner of that voice he wasn't sure. Though he guessed the branches kept it safe. His legs pumped hard breaking ground. He felt bad for all the grass and plants he was no doubt displacing with his reckless run.

The filtered sunlight was only enough to catch moving things. Several times he had little or no warning of a tree blocking his path. As he was pushing himself off another random tree, he shouted in surprise when another babas stirred, hissing at him. The voice had not lied; they roosted in packs. If he only had to face five he would have been fine, however it seemed that every other tree was an enemy.

The voice before him urged on as he attempted to focus his vision in the nearly black darkness. He could see a break in the trees as well as a healthy dose of light filtering through the massive canopy. Something seemed off about the sudden absence that gave him blessed sight, but he did not question it. Chancing a look behind him he frowned. The babas had multiplied, making the forest a flurry of vines and sightless chompers; an army of rotting plant flesh hopping from tree to tree as fast as he could run away.

He saw the white and blue blur disappear over the edge of the ground at the break. A cliff? He was no fool; he wasn't going to follow blindly. Halting just at the start of the clearing, he did his best to slow down quick enough. His feet stopped at the edge of the cliff just in time. The drop to the river below wasn't a long one, but one that made him wary to jump. He turned, giving a weary sigh as the horde of monsters continued to chase him. With what strength he had left, Link jogged forward putting distance between them, buying him just enough time to plummet to his safety, or doom if he was unlucky.

The sudden weightlessness sent fear ripping through his body as he fell. He cried out giving in to the emotion. The water was rushing up to meet him. Fighting the dread, and hoping the water was deep enough, he gasped putting his arms in front of him. He met the water with a jarring splash.

Link kept his eyes squeezed shut, uncertain if it was salty water or not. He prayed he did not hit rocks. The dizziness the decent put in him prevailed as he tried to find his sense of direction under the water. He kicked his legs and felt something tear into him. With a cry he lost what little air he had stored up. He cursed the weight his chain mail and swords put on him. How could he survive all this only to drown? He would not, could not. This mantra kept him kicking as he tried to reach sweet air.

For all his luck though, his weight proved too much. As his lungs burned with the urge for air he felt his limbs slowing. He was going to die. Shaking his head in weak defiance he felt his mouth drop open. With a mental curse he swore Leena would pay for this.

Link bolted upright as he woke suddenly. He felt soft dirt and grass under his finger tips. He searched quickly for his sword. He recalled drowning and yet he was alive. He looked to the sounds of splashing water. There he saw a white and blue clad Sheikah. Most definitely a Sheiken, but a thinner, nearly wraith-like figure of one. She turned to him with her bloody eyes flashing angrily from beneath her cowl and blonde locks. "Foolish Leena! Foolish. Sheik would never approve of your actions."

"Do I look like a woman to you?" Link croaked, his hand wrapping around the first sword hilt he found. Drawing the weapon free, he stood up on his shaking legs. His voice didn't seem to startle the woman, but she gave a slow nod of understanding. It was when she crossed her arms under her breast Link realized that this most definitely was not the Sheik he knew. "Who are you?"

"Not who you think I am, obviously. You must have met my husband. He was in charge of you after all. Where is my hero?" Her snipped, bandaged finger tapping quickly against her folded arms. He sheathed his sword slowly, still not sure if he was safe, but he trusted Sheikah's to act in the service of good.

"Sheik is your husband," He answered flatly for a moment forgetting her own question. "As for Leena, your guess is a good as mine. She tricked me."

"Doubtful of that." The woman said, her arms falling to her side in aggravation. "We must go to the Water Temple. It's the nearest sacred ground."

"I'm not playing this game again. I won't take orders without reason. Why must we go to the Water Temple?" He swayed for a moment feeling his legs protest to standing up. Had he hurt himself? Looking down he saw blood staining his tights. Nothing serious at closer inspection, but the shallow gash down his right knee to the top of his boot still hurt.

"Orders? No one orders around a hero, they merely suggest a direction. If you were ordered around your Royalty has poor skills in leadership."

That comment drew a small frown from him. "I'm afraid my Princess does little ordering around. Everything she asks of me I do willingly. It's your hero that did the ordering. She was rather well versed in telling people what to do."

He caught the twitch of her eyes as though something was amiss. "We will go to the Water Temple to the sacred grounds to seek audience with our High Ladies above. I must know why my hero is not my hero."

"You can start by telling me your name." He added as she began to walk away from him. No doubt going to the water temple with or without him. He followed with a small limp as he forced himself to grow accustomed to the pain.

"My name is Shayka. I am wife to Sheik, guide to the Hero Leena, guardian to the fallen house of Hyrule, Bodyguard of his royal Highness, and as of yet awaiting my child of destiny. Anything else you would like to know?" Shayka said as she continued to walk away. She seemed not to care that Link strained to hear her voice. She was even more unconcerned that he had no clue what she was talking about, but he accepted her willingness to tell him things as a sign of faith.

As he limped along after her, he stroked the handle of his sword. As his other hand found its way to Leena's sword again, he marveled at his ability to touch it. Focused on walking and filling his hands with the comforting handles of his swords, he watched Shayka walk. She was near silent as they followed the river. He barely heard her steps over his. She was so very much like Sheik.

They wore the same clothing. He thought perhaps it might be uniform for the Sheikah people. The white and blue body suit left little to the imagination. However it also promised a swift and painful death with a athletic body. It also must have been tradition to have the long braided hair tipped with a metal spike. However unlike Sheik who had been slender enough for a man, Shayka's body was long, and nearly brittle looking.

He wondered if she had a corset hidden under that uniform, for he had only ever seen Zelda get so thin with such a thing. He cringed at the thought of such a small waist being a natural occurrence. She had hips that declared her far more female than Sheik had ever looked.

"If you don't mind me asking..." He started a stray thought tumbling to the front of his mind. His hands clutching the swords tightly just in case he added, "how did Sheik get to my world if you can only travel with the Master Swords."

She didn't say anything to him. Suddenly she stopped, waving her hand in the air at him to stop as well. He wanted to ask her to answer his question but he felt his senses pick up. They were not alone. "Seems Imariz's influence has spread. The Zorans will want to know of this." She stated flatly drawing a kunai seemingly from thin air. "You are in no condition to fight, I can handle this," She insisted suddenly disappearing from his field of vision.

His head snapped up in the direction of the noise suddenly erupting from a cropping of rocks near the cliff wall. Shayka was standing on the rocks flicking her wrists. Kunai after kunai appeared in the air darting down behind the rocks. Pig like howls filled the air as the Sheikah woman disappeared again reappearing on the next rock. He wondered how she kept her balance on such a small area to stand on. If she fell surely she would break her neck.

He decided to ignore her warning. Moving very slowly, he made his way toward her, watching as she again popped into existence on a different rock. A pigman stumbled from behind the rocks. She didn't seem to notice this one as she continued to rain black daggers on whatever he could not see. The pigman stumbled in his leather armor, one shiny black kunai buried in a large bleeding eye. Raising its pole arm it made to jab at Shayka, but Link reached it in time. With a stumble he crashed into the pigman.

The beast seemed to be unfazed by the stumble, instantly rolling on top of him. He gave a growl as the weight of the beast man forced the air out of his lungs. He attempted to pull his sword free but found a thick hand pressing his arm down. The beast huffed in his face filling his nostrils with rancid breath. He gagged trying to push the monster off him with his free arm, but it pressed down on him harder. He glared at the pink skinned enemy as it tore the kunai out of its eye with a free hand.

With a squeal of pain he raised the kunai above its head for a moment. It looked down at him with one good eye, the other already a gaping hole. His eyes widened as he saw the direct path the weapon had to his face. With a howl he met the monster's arm deterring it. He was not ready to die as much as it seemed the Goddesses wanted him dead. The weapon found a home in his shoulder, he shouted out in pain. His chest throbbed from the pressure as his body forced air deep into his pained body.

"Enough of this." Shayka's voice hissed. She was on top of both of them now. Her bony fingers curling around one piggy ear sticking out of a leather skull cap. She pulled the monster's head back darting a long silver dagger across the monster's neck. The pigman squealed again rolling off Link with Shayka's assistance. "Come with me, Hero, and try not to scream too much." She chuckled, pulling Link up by his pained wrist. He tried to focus on her, but all he could manage was watching her brilliant red eyes close.

The world flipped into sudden darkness. The shallow gash on his leg tingled as though in cold water. The open cut on his hand made him wince as though the skin was being teased with a dirty rag. Those wounds did not compared to the throbbing he felt from the weapon lodged in his shoulder. The wound seemed to tighten around the blade. He felt his blood rushing out of his body. The life was being drawn out of him in this blackness.

He opened his mouth shouting as Shayka pulled the kunai out of him. The open wound burned like fire, turning his insides to ash but the pain continued. Every cell of his being felt on fire as he stumbled forward into her arms.

And then the world was dark no more. Instead a murmur of chants filled his ears. Looking over Shayka's shoulders he was surprised at the massive gathering of Zorans. He wanted to process the situation and get footing in this damned world, but he was so tired. Closing his eyes he slumped in Shayka's arms.

Leena frowned as Link disappeared in front of her. She felt oddly like she had done something she had not wanted to do. Like the last few months of her life. She also regretted allowing Link take her sword with him. She hadn't felt safe with the thing. It made sense to give it to him. Link protected people; he was suppose to protect everyone, even her. So it had made sense that in order to protect her from her sword she should give it to him.

Satisfied with the knowledge she had made the right choice she dusted off her skirts though they were immaculate. Passing the pedestal she looked at the Triforce etched into the stone. She nodded, equality. She liked equality, the balance of life, death, and everything in between. Things were in balance, she had had to send Link away for the balance. She frowned at that thought. She liked Link, he was like her Lord, but without the ties. He had good qualities. But balance was important. She liked it here in his Hyrule, they couldn't very well share it. She had to send him away.

She felt the wetness of tears on her face. Dabbing at them with her fingers she shrugged. It was sad, she was positive Link would never be able to return. He didn't know how and he was an unbeliever, no one would help him there. Shaking her head she let out a sob. It was a shame really; he was a nice guy, he didn't deserve to live there. He wouldn't survive there; with the state of affairs in Hyrule he would be killed on sight. But balance had to be maintained.

She dropped to her knees on the pedestal her fingers finding their way into the hole where the Master Sword had sat. She felt so dizzy as she continued to cry unreasonably. She missed him already; he was supposed to protect her. But how was he supposed to protect her if he wasn't there? Balance was important, but her life mattered more than balance did it not? Nonsense, only to her did it matter. The dizziness doubled, causing her to press her forehead into the cold stone of the pedestal.

"Link..." She sobbed. Why was it important to have him by her side anyway? It was a selfish thing, a sinful thing, a thing the goddesses would frown upon.

"What's happened?" A voice called out in the distance. She turned to a familiar face. The blonde ninja like Sheikah was by her side lifting her off her feet. "Leena... Gods you're okay. Shayka's been so worried for you. She couldn't find you! She sent me for you since this is my world."

She nodded numbly listening to him talk thinking. The dizziness was pressing on her now. She could not make sense from left or right but she still continued to think. "We need to speak to the Princess Zelda. Link is missing. We need to find him."

Sheik was increasingly becoming her support as she felt like a rock. He nodded to her statement fumbling to keep her from falling to the floor. "Yes, I remember where her audience chamber is. At this time of day she would still be present. Let us hurry."

She nodded letting him lift her up. His warmth seemed to calm the dizziness just a bit. With his arms around her legs and the other cradling her to him she relaxed. The numbness in her legs retreated a bit. Pressing her face to the tear tabard he wore, she closed her eyes. "Sheik."

"Yes?" He answered softly as he broke into a run. Wrapping her arms around his neck she inhaled his scent, sand and soap filled her senses. Nuzzling the tunic she tried to remember what the fabled Sheikah tear drop eye stood for. It did not mean the same thing in every world, and she was not sure she had ever bothered to ask Link about Sheik.

"I failed." She whispered into his neck. Sheik did not say anything but she knew he was coming to the same conclusions she had. What could Magaron possibly have wished for? Did it matter? Of course not, nothing had been changed, nothing effected. As long as everything was the same then what he wanted was irrelevant.

"We will find a way to fix it. Whatever he did. But first we will talk to Zelda." He answered softly traveling quickly as only Sheikahs could. She closed her eyes feeling the cold embrace them as he divided space and reappeared where they wanted to be.

She felt the wind blowing in her face. Opening her eyes she looked out in front of them. Sheik was balancing them on the corner of the castle's ramparts. Before her lay the entire castle. She could see guards patrolling the outside walk ways and a few men standing sentry on the walls. Princess Zelda lay somewhere in that maze. "I will go find her; it will be safer if I go alone. I will return soon."

He set her down gently making sure she could stand on her own. She nodded watching him dash off unseen by the guards. Pressing her body close to the wall trying not to be seen. Rubbing a palm into one tear stained eye she tried to focus. She kept her mind off of Link, for if she thought of him to long surely she would go mad with remembrance.

Squeezing her eyes shut she tried not to recall his hot lips. He was a good kisser, such a good kisser. "No. No!" She insisted to herself feeling her face heat up. One did not think of traitors. One did not think fondly of the man who had taken what was not his to have. One did not admit that one freely gave up something that was solely for the Goddesses. "It was not my place to give up my innocence..." She agreed with herself. She should have stayed pure. It was required of her as High Priestess, yet she had thrown that away for a warm smile and gentle hands.

She was not fit to be her world's hero, her peoples' spiritual leader, her sister's adviser. She was a mistake of a creation, an accident the Goddesses had let live only to see what would happen. Shaking her head she felt the tears attempting to come again. She could not cry, not anymore in front of Sheik. The man had standards to what he put up with from his Heroes. Crying no doubt was not one of them.

Turning her face into her hands against the stony wall she felt her mind drift once more to Link. "I like you... I think I even love you." She said feeling an odd remembrance of those words. Had she said them before? She could remember saying them before to a man that looked like Link in her world. She nodded yes she had, in the Prince's chamber. Her Lord had looked so handsome in that armor. When had she started thinking of her Lord looking like Link instead of Link looking like her Lord? Shaking her head she put that childish memory out of her mind as well as the pointless words. Link was a traitor. It was all his fault that Magaron had gotten his wish.

"Leena?" Sheik's voice asked timidly. He had snuck up on her. Quickly she turned to him offering him a smile with her blushing face. She put her hands behind her for a moment waiting to see if he said anything. "I found her. By the Goddesses I found my child of destiny! She's a pretty little thing. I felt it in my bones when I saw her, Leena. Isn't this exciting! I thought I would die without meeting mine." Sheik said his eyes shut in bliss.

She put on a thrilled smile as she threw her arms open and hugged him. She pressed her hands into his uniform feeling for the tell tale metal she knew all Sheikahs hid on their body. Looking up at him she smiled, with one hand she pulled down the cowl covering his face. Exposing his unnatural features she pressed her lips to his. This startled him at the right moment. Her hands closed over the weapon she felt peaking out of a bandage. He jumped away from her with a small gasp of surprise. "What are you doing!"

She smirked at him pulling the dagger to her mouth. Her tongue poked out of her mouth running down the length of the blade. "I am so happy for you. Now you will listen to me." His pale hand covered his mouth his angelic face twisted in confusion.

His eyes widened for a moment. She liked how big they got, she could see so much red, so much blood filling him. Laughing she nodded. "That's right, good Sheikah. Close yourself off, right now, or I will kill her."

"No you can't! She's mine, you don't even know who she is." He said stiffly. Oh leave it to one of the Sheikah to act like a child over their charge. Seeming to catch her thought he straightened taking on a serious posture, though no doubt ready to attack. Smirking she shook her head. He frowned, his thin lips too long on his pale face.

"Correct me if I'm wrong Sheik. I will wager it's against your code to kill a Hero chosen by the Gods, so you can't hurt me. And if I'm also correct in assuming that since you did not mention Zelda, but you did go to her audience chamber, you must have run into another woman of royal linage. No child of destiny would be a commoner found in the royal castle. Those are always the orphans and beggars on the street shaped by their situation. You must have run into another Princess or a Queen. And everyone knows the Queen here died a few years ago. Had Zelda been your child you would have stayed when you helped Link complete his quest. So I am left to assume, Princess Emerald is your child is she not?" She pointed the dagger at him, "Close yourself off now before I find the simpering little bitch and slit her throat."

She watched satisfied as his bloody eyes dulled to an muddy brown. "Come now, to the dungeon with you." She watched as the man nodded meekly. The joy of his discovery sucked away by the knowledge he was now a prisoner. She would keep him away from his child at all costs. It was only right. Balance was important. One could not usher in a new age until the old one was properly dead. And without the Hero of their world the old could not pass into the new without him. Therefore Sheik was to be held prisoner until such time as the balance could be tipped correctly. After she had swayed little Emerald to the proper and righteous way of thinking.