This is a modern/AU version of a fanfiction in the Zeldaverse. I have taken characters mainly from Twilight Princess but there will be others. I hope by modernizing these characters like this does not turn anyone off. I have had a lot of fun borrowing them and setting up the story.

The time period in this story's setting would be similar to the 1990s today's time as far as technology goes. The other races next to the Hylian are to be more humanoid with traits similar to their characters in the games. Such as a character that is Zora will be human like but may be very tall or good at swimming. Mainly everyone appears Hylian or human (round eared).

Summary:

Link is a senior in high school just trying to figure out life growing up in a small town and trying to keep his family together while making himself happy. Malink. Pairing may change in the future. *Trigger warnings: drug use, sexual abuse, alcohol abuse, suicide and violence.

The Zelda characters and locations are not my creations except for Joey and Scott.*

The twilight of the day was settling in the distance. Blues and pinks mixed in with the clearing late November sky over barren streets. An old pickup truck came rumbling by. There was a red headed girl in the passenger side. She hung her hair out and felt the cold wind blowing through her. It was the thrill of freedom and youth. Not knowing what was next, anything and everything lay ahead of them. Her blond boyfriend in the driver side cranked up the radio, his medium short hair tied in the back with strands loose brushing around his blue eyes. They had skipped class again that day, sleeping in til 1.

They slept in the loft of the barn that was on her property while the horses grazed in the fields. This was a small town, people were easy come and easy go. People did everything in a mundane way predictably. Nothing interesting ever happened in Odon the small town that used to be the capital of Ordonia.

Malon's dad believed she was at school at tennis practice, he was easy to lie to. Link's parents weren't in their right minds to even care where he was.

Malon sat back and turned to him "After we go to your house and get the stuff can we stop at Beetle's? I need to get some snacks."

Link nodded, "Yea I need you to buy some cigs too for me." Malon pulled his ponytail, "You're so bad! But only if you share!" Malon had just turned 18 last month, and Link had taken full advantage of the ability to suddenly be allowed to buy a substance banned from those less than a day younger of 18. He had started smoking casually since he was 16 after he stole a pack from his father while he was performing another marathon of being passed out drunk on the couch. The old man was going for a new record then, after he had lost his job at the factory. It shut down claiming not to be making enough profit in the area and it would be cheaper to operate closer to their distributors.

The old Barnes factory was a big income supplier to a lot of families out in the small town. The factory manufactured parts for explosives. Folks were still hurting, trying to find ways to make a living. "You don't need to get started on them" he simply stated. They had this argument before. She crossed her arms and pouted.

Link turned into a long gravel drive that winded through some trees. The old two story farm house sat as it had for the last couple generations. It was where he grew up.

Link didn't feel much of a connection to life the last few years. He didn't feel a connection to his parents either. Not since things had changed so much in their household. They walked in tip toeing, trying not to wake his dad up. His mom was upstairs as usual. She was battling a illness that doctors in the area had no idea how to treat.

Link peaked around the corner into the living room and saw his dad on the couch sleeping. He motioned to Malon to come and they quickly went up the stairs. His mom was sitting in bed reading a book. She had started getting sick a year ago. She would pass out at random times during the day or forget where she was. Ever since then she stayed home leaving her job at the school as a teacher. She drew a meager amount from her retirement and it had been enough to pay the bills. They also had his dad's income from the severance from the factory. But most of that went to booze.

In the bedroom, he grabbed his black backpack and threw some rope and a bottle of rum in he had swiped from his dad's cabinet. Then he grabbed his headphones and changed into his hiking boots. Malon opened his closet and scrounged around the upper shelf while he wasn't looking. She had always been a tall girl. Link just recently passed her in height, barely. He turned to look at what she was doing. "Hey what are you looking for?" His eyebrow went up when she pulled out her discovery. "Think this might be necessary too?" She had a little square package in her hand. He swiped it from her faster than she could realize. "So you wanna do it in a abandoned building huh?" He wrapped his arm around her shoulder. She smiled and grabbed the box while kissing him on the lips. "Come on let's get out before my dad wakes up."

After throwing any other random items in his backpack they may need, they went back down the hall to the stairs. Link turned and suddenly his father was in his face, grabbing at the collar of his dark green hoodie. Link felt his spine sting as he was shoved back into the wall. Malon grabbed the man's arm and tried to pry it off him. This wasn't the first time Links dad went after him. It was like a song on a record skipping. Stuck on the same beat.

"You little shit you have been skipping school again haven't you?" he spat into Link's face. Malon tried to play a happy middle man in this confrontation. She had seen the look in his eyes before and she could usually get him to calm down. She knew Scott Hawkins her whole life just like Link.

Link grimaced and turned his head trying to avoid the alcohol stench coming off his breath. "No I'm just helping Malon with tennis practice" he choked.

"Mr. Hawkins he really is. I promise he's been really helpful lately with my serve." she turned her head to Link looking for any sign as to what to do. Scott wasn't having it tonight. He shoved her off his arm and pulled Link from the wall. Link stumbled and his backpack being unzipped the box of condoms fell out along with the rum. Unfortunately this was all Scott needed to justify what he thought was swift justice on a his misbehaving teenaged boy. Malon watched as Mr. Hawkins swung his fist into Link's jaw. She screamed at him to stop.

Link fell back into the wall and grabbed onto the rall of the stairs to hold himself up. The old man wasn't done yet. Scott grabbed Link by the arm and slung him off the rail into the opposite rail and Link stumbled back on the stairs. As he was falling Malon jumped forward and grabbed Link by the arm to stop him from tumbling down pulling him back. Link let her go and shoved his dad as hard as he could away from her. Scott stumbled back in his drunken state trying to get his balance.

Link took hold of Malon's hand and grabbed his bag in one quick motion and the couple made a beeline down the stairs and out the door. He started the truck slamming it into reverse. Malon slammed the door and before she could get her seatbelt on he had backed it onto the road pushing the gas to get away as fast as possible. Link wouldn't leave it to chance of his dad following them. He wanted to make sure his father did not know which direction they took off to.

Malon slumped in her seat, annoyed that two of the main fun things were lost.They weren't old enough to buy booze and it would be so awkward if they went into the gas station and bought condoms. Link rubbed his sore jaw and straighten his injured back. "One day he won't be able to fight back. If he ever hurt you...are you ok?" He glanced briefly at her before looking back at the road.

"I'm fine Link. He didn't hurt me." She quietly replied looking ahead of her. Link glanced at his mirror to make sure they weren't being followed. Scott hadn't followed them before in his own vehicle but he wouldn't be surprised if he did one day. He was probably slumped over in a drunken haze right now.

Link was pissed and tired of having to deal with it. Scott was a big guy. He used to be part of a underground fight club before he lost his job. The man had experience and a lot of it. Link wasn't aware of how he still got practice other than shoving him around. The boy never wanted to fight back, it seemed wrong. He only did enough to run, to get away. Link rarely slept at his house the last couple weeks. Spending the night with Malon or at his best friend Joey's house. It was a miracle his mom didn't hear or come out during the fight to see what was going on, she may be getting worse.

He pulled into the convenience store parking and put his forehead on the steering wheel. He was angry with himself for letting his dad get away with pushing Malon around like that. It could have been her falling down the steps instead or they both could have fallen while she was reaching out to grab him. He couldn't help but fear the what ifs of her going down with him. Malon leaned over, "hey babe cheer up, we are gonna have a blast tonight. So forget that asshole." Link sat up and sighed.

"Promise me next time it gets that bad you get out. Run out of the house. Get away from him. Got it?" Link looked her in the eye with a fierceness.

Malon leaned over and kissed him on his bruised jaw. She climbed onto his lap, legs parted around his waist with the wheel to her back. He wrapped an arm around her and another to the back of her neck bringing her lips down to his kissing her roughly out of desperation of keeping her safe. He broke away just as fast and putting his forehead against hers. "Malon promise me" he stated.

"Ok" she replied. She couldn't tell him the truth not when he was looking at her like that. That she couldn't live without him. He was her ship and she wouldn't abandon him even in the storm. She leaned down brushing her lips to his. They made out while she pushed her hands under his shirt running them from his stomach up to his chest. She parted her lips and lightly licked his bottom lip. Link growled "you better get off me or everyone in this parking lot is going to get a show."

She broke away from him when he slipped his hand under her shirt then under the clasp of her bra.

"Ok! Ok!" Link pulled it lightly letting it slap her back. "Ouch stop it!" She laughed and hit him in the chest. He smirked watching her lean down and opening his side door to get out.

Malon jumped out fixing her shirt, followed by Link. They walked into the store and picked out drinks and snacks. Chips and candy bars, way more than two teens needed spilled out of Link's arms on the counter. "That all for ya darling?" the clerk looked down at the mess with an eyebrow cocked. She was a big lady with tan skin and red dreadlocks. She had unique tattoos of dots across her cheeks. Link saw her name tag read Telma. "Um.." he looked back behind him searching for Malon. She came around with a couple sodas and placed them on the counter. "These too please." She looked behind the Telma at the back wall. "And um a pack of Marlboro No 27s please"

"Hm! Got some ID baby?" Malon fiddled with her wallet and pulled her id out to give the clerk, she didn't have her driver's licence yet.

Malon paid the clerk then picked up the bagged snacks. Link opened the door while Malon went under his arm. He opened and shut the truck door for her and then went to get in on his side. Malon sat the bags down on her seat. "Wait here I'll be back" she said and went back inside. Figuring she just needed to use the bathroom he started the truck and switched out CD's.

He sifted through the bags for the cigs and pulled his lighter out of his hoodie pocket. He looked up at the darkening sky and he pulled the heat through the filter of the cig into his chest, feeling the tension from earlier leave him.

Malon opened the door then and jumped in. "All set." she said and put her seat belt on. Link turned to her with that grin that could melt any teenage girl's heart "So nice of you to remember what I like." he picked the Marlboro pack up grinning and put them in his pocket. Malon blushed. He thought it weird that she would blush at that.

She was usually a bold girl that didn't let guys shake her up like that. That's why he liked her, she wasn't trying to impress him. She was more real than a lot of the girls at school were. Not that he didn't mind the attention. He and Malon had been dating for the last year. They had known each other since they were 12.

They were always comfortable in each other's presence rarely feeling embarrassed. "Doing ok?" He asked and he started the engine.

"Yes. I'm excited about exploring the old buildings downtown." Malon rolled the window down and laid her arm out the window. She made her hand flat and let it cut through the wind making her hand go up and down. "Are you scared?" Link rested his hand in his lap while keeping the steering wheel straight.

Malon smiled. "As long as you're with me no I won't be." Malon looked over to Link. "Was that really cheesy?" she laughed.

Link smiled at her and reached over to hold her hand. "Not at all"

Thanks for reading and don't forget to review and let me know of any spelling errors or things that stick out to you.

-SG