Soulbound
Prologue, Part IV - Link: The Fall of Flight 791
Earth, Florida, United States - Miami International Airport, South Terminal
February 29, 2016 CE
12:00PM, Eastern Standard Time
Jet engines roared through the air. A large passenger plane descended on the runway, rubbery tires scraping against the asphalt. The plane slowly ground to a halt. Several men and women rushed down a metal staircase to the passenger door on the outer hull. Moments later, the door opened.
One after another, men, women, and children stepped off the plane and walked into the south terminal with confused, bewildered expressions. A young woman gazed up at the humid, tropical skies above, her long coppery brown hair blowing in the breeze. She shifted her focus to the airport beyond, her face scrunched up in a frustrated expression.
This is the last time I fly with United.
She stepped into the building and watched as suitcase after suitcase passed through baggage claim carousels throughout the terminal. The woman took a seat in one of the nearby chairs and pulled out her smartphone. She tapped the touch screen and began to dial numbers. Sighing, she held the receiver up to her ear and awaited an answer.
"Hello?"
The voice belonged to an elderly man. In spite of her frustration, the woman smiled at the sound of his voice.
"Hey, Grandpa! It's Alex."
Alex could hear the smile on the other end as her grandfather's voice continued.
"Alex! This is rather unexpected. Is something the matter?"
"Hey, I don't have much time to talk, roaming charges around here are insane. I was just calling to let you know that my flight got diverted- something about engine trouble. I'm currently stuck in Miami waiting for another plane to take me to San Juan. If Darcy calls, tell her I'll be a few hours late."
"Well, not much you can do there, I suppose. Thanks for calling and letting me know you're safe, hun."
"I'll call you when I'm at their place, okay? Sorry to cut this short, Grandpa, but I have to go check in now. I love you, and I'll talk to you later. Bye."
Alex tapped the touch screen on her phone and ended the call. She slumped over in her chair, groaning in frustration. From underneath her black shirt, her stomach rumbled. Despite of her growing hunger, she stood up and walked through the airport. She spotted the check-in counters and frowned at the growing line for the United Airlines counter.
Well, looks like this'll take a while.
Not wanting to deal with the line, she peered through the mass of bodies wading in and out of the south terminal. Shops and concession stands lined the building. Alex dug into her purse and pulled out her wallet. As she fumbled around for some spare cash, she tapped her right foot, which tingled.
Hell of a time for my foot to fall asleep...
Out of the corner of her eye, she spotted a Subway restaurant. The sight, as well as the smell of toasted cheese and meatballs, made her stomach rumble even more. Eager to appease her appetite, she stepped into the line and waited. Moments later, she walked away and began to devour a sandwich.
Thank you, cheap processed commercial food. You're a life-saver! I was afraid I'd end up getting hangry... And no one likes me when I'm hangry.
Alex took her place in the check-in line, tapping her right foot as she munched on her sandwich. She peeked at the line in front of her and frowned. Little by little, the prickling sensation in her right foot began to ease. From out of her purse, she pulled out a set of earbuds and a music player.
May as well keep myself amused while I'm here...
She looked at the golden Nintendo 3DS in her pocket longingly. As much as she wanted to play games on it, she zipped up her purse and inched further and further up the check-in line. Minutes later, she made it to the counter.
"Hi, may I help you?" The clerk asked.
Alex removed the earbuds and paused her music player.
"Hi, I'm Alex Donovan from the plane that came out of Portland, Oregon. My flight diverted here because of engine trouble with the plane or something, so I just wanted to check in and see when I'd be able to continue my flight."
"Sure thing. May I see your passport and boarding pass?"
Alex dug through her purse and pulled out her boarding pass and a small passport booklet. She handed it over to the check-in clerk. For what seemed to last forever, she input information into the computer at her station.
"Ah yes, here you are. You will be transferring over to Flight 791, headed to San Juan, Puerto Rico. So far, we estimate a wait of three hours before the plane will be ready."
Alex looked back at her, incredulous. She slammed her hands down on the counter in frustration.
"Are you fucking kidding me?! Look, it's bad enough that I'm stuck here, and now you're going to make me wait another three hours, on top of the remainder of my flight? This is absolutely ridiculous!"
The check-in clerk handed her a voucher.
"I apologize for the inconvenience. We will post an announcement when your flight is ready for boarding. That voucher is good for any one-way flight on our airline. Again, I'm sorry about the mishap with your flight today."
"Will I need to check my bags with you again, or am I good there, at least?"
"Nope, you're fine, Miss Donovan. Your baggage will be transferring to Flight 791 as well. Is there anything else I can help you with today?"
"Not at all. Thanks a million... you've been absolutely swell..."
Alex rolled her eyes and stepped away from the counter. Annoyed at the turn of events, she sat down at a chair. She rubbed the bridge of her nose. Rummaging through her purse, she pulled out her Nintendo 3DS, flipped it open, and turned the power on.
Well, may as well make the best of things, I suppose...
She stared at the dual screens, her eyes glazing over the large collection of games on the screen.
Hmm... Not really in the mood for the original, Adventure of Link kicks my ass way too much... Eh, I played A Link to the Past last week, A Link Between Worlds the week before that one... So that just leaves Ocarina of Time 3D, Majora's Mask 3D, or Hyrule Warriors Legends. Can't say I'm really in the mood for Hyrule Warriors anything right now, so that just leaves those two...
Alex waved her finger over the bottom screen in thought. She tapped the icon of the Hylian Shield on the screen.
Oh Oh Tee Three Dee, I choose you!
1:00PM, South Terminal Lobby
I hate this fucking mini game so much.
Alex furrowed her eyebrows at the game in front of her. She watched the figure of Child Link playing an ocarina in front of two skull kids playing a song on a drum. As she attempted to follow along with the button inputs on the screen, a familiar dong filled her earbuds.
"I swear to God, I'm going to break this fucking mini game! I'm pushing all the right buttons... Why won't it let me get the heart piece?!"
Her fingers slipped on the buttons, and another dong filled her ears. She growled in frustration. As she saved her game and powered down her 3DS, she shoved it back into her purse and furrowed her eyebrows. A yawn escaped her lips.
You know what? I'll deal with that stupid game later. I'm too tired for this crap.
Alex rested her head on the back of her chair. She felt her eyes begin to droop...
Panicked screams filled the cabin of the jet. All around her, Alex watched complete pandemonium consume the passengers. Like lightning from the heavens, streaks of otheworldly light flashed around her. With widened eyes, she looked out the window beside her, and watched fire erupt from the jets under the wing outside.
The plane tossed and turned, sending Alex and the other passengers flying in every direction. She grabbed onto a seat for dear life. For a brief moment, the plane stabilized, and she fell onto the floor. Alex wiped the blood from her brow and gazed in front of her.
All around her, the human passengers of the plane became twisted by the light, shifting into grotesque and alien forms. Some grew rocks out of newly hunched backs, while fins erupted from the skin of others. Alex remained frozen in place, too horrified to look away from the scene unfolding before her.
What's going on?! What's happening?!
The twisted passengers cried out in alien tongues, their voices filled with desperation. Alex felt a scaled hand grab onto her shoulder, pulling her toward it. With a startled gasp, found herself face-to-face with one of the corrupted passengers, its face a twisted amalgam of man and fish.
"Help... Me...!"
Alex screamed at the top of her lungs and pushed the monstrosity away from her. Through the corner of her eye, she saw a wall of light descend on the plane. Like a wall, it raced down the plane with frightening speed. Alex ran away from the light with all the speed she could muster. She tore open door after door, jumping over every obstacle in her way.
When she reached the door to the cockpit, she stopped in her tracks. Standing at the front of the plane, a green-clad figure faced the door, his pointed green cap flailing in the unnatural wind around them. Long, pointed ears jetted out from the sides of his head, while tufts of blond hair poked out from underneath his hat. Alex shook her head, not believing her eyes.
What the...?!
She tensed as he turned to look over his left shoulder. His blue eye peered into her green eyes, piercing her soul, while his pupil gleamed with the same eerie light that ravaged the jet around them. The floor of the plane groaned and trembled beneath their feet. From beyond the cabin, the wall of light descended on them. Alex screamed at the top of her lungs as she became absorbed by the light. She reached out toward the figure before disappearing into the white void...
3:50PM, South Terminal Lobby
Alex's eyes snapped open. She bolted forward and nearly fell to the ground, her heart racing.
"All passengers for Flight 791, please proceed to Gate G4. The flight bound for San Juan, Puerto Rico will be departing soon. I repeat..."
I overslept! Oh shit!
She rushed to her feet, turned her cell phone off, and tossed it into her purse. As she slung her purse over her shoulder, she darted up out of her chair. As fast as her legs could carry her, she ran through the terminal. When she spotted Gate G4, she made a beeline through the tunnel leading out of the terminal. She stepped onto the plane and looked for her seat.
I hope I'm not too late...
Alex made her way through first class and opened the door to coach. She looked around the cabin, searching for her seat. When she spotted the empty seat in the third row of the economy class seating, she breathed a sigh of relief. Wading her way through the people beside her, she took her seat on the plane. Even as she watched the setting sun through the window, she could not shake the images of her dream out of her head.
That... was the freakiest shit I've ever seen. It's like... Those people were turning into Gorons and Zora... Fucking Christ, what a nightmare...
She laid her head against the back of the seat.
Alright... Calm down... It was just a bad dream, that's all... It's not real... It's not real at all...
Alex looked up at the ceiling of the plane and sighed.
But if it's just a dream... why do I have this sinking feeling all of a sudden?
In front of her, the flight attendants went over emergency procedures for the flight. Alex paid little attention to them, having sat through them before. She let out a yawn, reached into her purse, and pulled out her neck pillow. The floor of the plane shook as the jet engines roared to life.
Within moments, the plane ran down the runway and ascended into the heavens. As Miami International Airport disappeared below her, Alex squirmed in her seat, trying to get comfortable amid the lack of space.
If I ever fly again, I'm so saving up for a first class ticket. These seats are freaking awful... I can never get comfortable in them no matter how hard I try...
Alex sank into her neck pillow and closed her eyes, drifting off into an awkward half-sleep.
4:50PM Atlantic Standard Time, Above the Caribbean Sea
Darkness fell on the horizon. From within the cockpit of the passenger jet, the pilot and co-pilot monitored the instruments in front of them. Radio communications blasted through the headsets on their ears. The co-pilot peered through the clouds around them, watching the growing darkness with unease.
"This doesn't feel right..."
"You're telling me. I've never seen it get this dark on a February night like this before. This doesn't feel natural at all..."
Off into the distance, the pilot spotted a brief spark of light in the dark clouds. Flashes of lightning, laced with eerie light, shimmered in the growing night. With blinding speed, the mounting storm grew closer and closer to them. The pilot looked on with widened eyes.
"What the-"
Before he could react, energy surged through the cockpit. Sparks flew from the instruments as power flickered on and off, erratic and unstable. The pilot held onto the steering wheel of the plane. Desperate to regain control of the aircraft, he turned toward his co-pilot.
"I've lost control!"
Like a thundering tempest, the eerie light flared around them, flooding the cabin. The two of them wailed in pain as the light consumed them.
The plane rolled and pitched violently in the air. Without warning, Alex collided with the seat in front of her. She pulled herself away from the seat, startled by the events transpiring around her. She glanced outside at the storm of light outside. She shook her head in absolute disbelief.
No...
A loud boom resounded throughout the cabin. The plane dipped onto its side, sending the flight attendants as well as carry-on luggage tumbling onto the floor. Alex grabbed onto her seat for dear life.
This is not happening. This can't be happening!
Before her very eyes, her nightmare played out before her. Energy surged through the plane. Alex felt her heart pounding in her chest as the light entranced the other passengers around her.
"No! Don't look at it! Don't look at the light!" She shouted.
Wails of agony and screams of terror filled the air. All around her, absolute pandemonium ensued as men, women, and children rushed to shield each other from the light. Those touched by the light collapsed onto the floor of the cabin, writhing in anguish at the physical, mental, and spiritual assault on their beings.
Alex unbuckled herself from her seat and rushed towards the other passengers not touched by the light. One by one, their bodies underwent a metamorphosis. For some, fins erupted from their bodies, while others began to take on hunchbacked, rock-like forms. The plane dipped and bowed around them, tossed around at the mercy of the dimensional storm around them. Alex screamed as she flew across the cabin and into the back of a seat.
She pulled herself onto her feet, and for a brief moment, the plane stabilized. Alex touched her forehead and felt warm blood running down her face. She backed away and covered her mouth, horrified at the nightmare turned reality. Without warning, she felt a scaled hand grab onto her shoulder.
"Ahhhhh! Get off me!"
"Help... Me... Please... God!"
Without looking, she pushed the hybrid being away from her. Alex looked down on the floor and saw a flight attendant crawl onto her feet. She looked up at Alex with a mortified expression.
"What in God's name...?"
Alex shook her head.
"Lady, there's no time! How do we get off this plane?!"
The flight attendant shook her head in response.
"Ma'am, we're thirty thousand feet up in the air. Even if we were to head to the emergency exit, cabin decompression will kill us!"
Booms and groans rocked the plane. From out of the corner of her eye, Alex watched as the wings of the jet erupted into balls of flame. She turned toward the cabin door behind her and pulled it open. Glancing over her left shoulder, she called out to the other passengers unchanged by the light.
"Everyone! Get to the cockpit! Hurry, before the light touches you, too!"
One by one, a flood of people followed Alex. The flight attendant held up her hand in protest.
"Wait!"
Before she could get another word in, Alex and the group of people following her had disappeared up the fuselage.
Without looking back, she ran through the aisles of the plane, jumping and pushing aside anything and everything that got in her way.
A glimmer of light manifested behind her, passing through the plane like an ethereal wall that consumed everything in its path. Alex dared not stop for the flight attendant, who followed them behind the wall in hot pursuit. Screams echoed behind her as passengers intent on following her tripped, fell, and became consumed by the wall of light. One by one, the light absorbed them and worked its terrible power on their forms, until only Alex remained.
She ran, fueled by her will to survive. Although she could hear the flight attendant's voice calling out to her, she dared not turn around, knowing full well the force that chased her. When she reached the door to the cockpit, she expected the figure from her dream to appear before her. Nothing remained in the gallery of the plane- nothing but a door of metal.
"Help! Somebody help!"
She pounded on the door, crying out to the pilots within to save her and everyone else on board.
But no one came.
Nothing but their maddened wails filled the air. With nowhere to go and nowhere to run, Alex collapsed onto her knees.
Oh God... Please no... Please let me wake up from this nightmare...!
With tears in her eyes, she cried out at the top of her lungs. She called out to God, to her grandfather, to anything and anyone...
But no one came.
She cried out for release from the chaos that surrounded her. Alex prayed for a miracle to come.
But no one came.
The wall of light descended on the fuselage. Alex closed her eyes and screamed in agony as the white void consumed her. She could not breathe. Light paralyzed her, tearing into her very being. In spite of the pain that surged throughout her body, she clung on.
No... I don't want to die!
Like an ominous ink staining her mind, the light invaded her thoughts. It pierced her very essence. At the edge of the void, she felt a presence. She forced her eyes open and watched as a golden triangle, shimmering with a brilliant white and green aura, hurtled toward her. Alex mustered all of her willpower to raise her arms in front of her body. Her muscles tensed and twitched, powerless before the void.
It phased through her arms and collided with her chest. Her eyes widened as she fell limp, unable to stop the object from melting into her flesh and entwining itself with her heart. Pain unlike anything she ever felt before traveled through her body. Time ceased to exist. The white void fell away and Alex crumpled to the floor of the fuselage. Reality darkened as she fell screaming into the black abyss. Oblivion blanketed her, and she knew no more.
Link's blood curdling screams echoed throughout the darkness. The light ravaged his being, tearing into his very essence. Like a needle through thread, it pierced his soul, boring into him over and over and over again. He lurched backward in the abysm, helpless before the energy that had ensnared him and his world.
No!
His eyes snapped open. He tumbled onto his side, unable to control his body. Instead of the foreboding darkness of Ganon's Castle, Link found himself in an alien place. Bright flourescent lights flickered around him, casting everything in ever-shifting light and shadow. The floor holding up his body shook and groaned, as though falling apart at the seams. Spasms of pain racked his body, sending Link squirming on the ground.
What is this?!
Link squeezed his eyes shut, the surging agony rending his flesh. With every ounce of willpower he possessed, he turned himself face down and pushed himself off the carpeted floor. He clenched his teeth as he forced himself onto his feet, propping himself on the metal door behind him.
A high-pitched ringing filled his ears as another spasm ran down his spine. Everything blurred in and out of focus. He steeled himself and pushed the long, coppery brown hair out of his eyes.
Huh...?
He held trembling hands up to his face, gazing at them as though they were foreign entities. Small, slender hands belonging to a woman responded to his will. The soft glow of the Triforce of Courage glimmered on the back of the woman's left hand. As his gaze traveled down the rest of the alien form he now inhabited, a wave of pain tore through his body, sending him reeling.
Link fell onto the floor and screamed at the top of his lungs. Light cracked and seized around him, singeing the air with otherworldly power. He watched as the light within him snaked down his arms and surrounded his form.
What's happening to me?!
The flight attendant ran through the cabin of the plane, ignoring the absolute chaos erupting around her. Concern for the young woman that tried to save the other passengers filled her. Amid the screams that filled the air, the bone-chilling cries of a young man tore through the air, replacing the woman's wail of suffering. She stopped in her tracks, chilled to the very core by the sound.
No... Don't tell me I'm too late!
To her own horror, the man's screams echoed from the gallery before the cockpit... where the woman she had been chasing ran off to. She gathered herself and ran toward the front of the plane. Light flashed from behind the door to the gallery. The flight attendant took a deep breath and forced the door open.
Facing the door to the cockpit, a masculine figure clothed in green knelt on the floor. Deep, gasping breaths escaped from the being before her. The flight attendant froze where she stood while the figure rose to his feet. Volts of white energy sizzled and danced around him for a brief moment, while his body began to relax.
The figure rose to his feet, the skirt of his tunic brushing against his thighs. His pointed green cap swayed in the unnatural wind blowing through the fuselage, the tip brushing midway down his back. Long, pointed ears poked out from the sides of his head. The flight attendant watched as he held his hands in front of him, tilting his head in a puzzled manner. The figure glanced over his left shoulder at her. She let out a gasp as he turned around to face her.
Blond hair framed his face. His left eye, an azure blue, flickered with the same terrible light that ravaged the aircraft around them. She recognized the green hue of the figure's right eye, the very same as the woman's eyes who fled here moments ago. He stared back at her with a confused expression.
"Oh my God..."
The flight attendant backed away, horrified by the presence before her. Concern filled the figure's eyes as he offered a gauntleted left hand to her.
Link gazed into the frightened eyes of the woman in front of him. She looked at him as though a demon stood poised to devour her. He offered his hand out to her, only to watch her shrink back in fear of him. Link found himself confused and dismayed by her reaction.
"I'm not going to harm you. Please don't be frightened of me..."
She shook her head at him, her confusion at his words palpable even to him. The woman peered back at him, as though she hadn't understood anything he uttered. She pushed the door open behind her, crying out in an alien language. Link shook his head.
What the...? What is going on here? Why is she looking at me like that?
"Wait!" Link called out to the woman, "Please, wait!"
The plane dipped to its right side. Link grabbed onto a nearby door, in an effort to keep his balance. Turbulence rocked the air around him. Behind him, on the otherside of the door to the cockpit, the sound of metal bending screeched the air, like nails on a chalkboard. The door burst open as two entities fell through the door, their eyes possessed of the light and filled with crazed madness.
Like twisted amalgamations, they appeared as something neither human nor Goron, but something stuck in between. Link jumped to the side as they threw heavy-handed punches at him. They screamed at the top of their lungs, clutching their heads in pain. He shook his head at the sight before him.
No... This can't be happening...
He looked down at his own hands. Though they carried the likeness of the hands he had known since birth, the slightly smaller size of them drew more towards the woman's hands he possessed before. As his eyes traveled down a muscular arm and body, he found himself staring not at his original form restored, but at a hybridized body twisted by the light's influence.
What is this?!
His strength, taken from him when the light absorbed him and Hyrule, now filled this body totally and completely. Despite the upset he felt at his twisted body, the screams and cries of the other passengers on board the plane tore him away from his thoughts. Link looked through the open door the woman ran through with widened eyes.
Complete and utter pandemonium ensued in the passenger cabin outside. Humanoid forms, twisted between shapes of the various tribes that inhabited his home, assaulted and attacked one another, their maddened eyes ablaze with the light's power. He pushed his feelings aside and called out to them.
"Listen to me! Don't give into the light's madness! Fight it! Regain yourselves!"
As he called out to the amalgams before him, a Zoran hybrid leaped at him. Link grabbed his arms and held him off, gritting his teeth admidst the rabid stare the hybrid cast on him. He threw him onto the carpeted floor. As he raced down the aisles of seats, he looked outside the windows of the plane and gasped.
What is this thing?
Boundless sea hovered below a metallic wing. In the dark clouds outside, the storm of light began to recede before vanishing into the darkness from whence it came. Clouds fell away from the wings of the plane as the craft fell from the heavens. Everyone on board began tumbling down toward the cockpit of the plane.
Link hung onto the seat beside him. A loud boom thundered through the fuselage, followed by an explosion. The left side hull of the plane burst open. Like a drain becoming unplugged, a torrential wind sucked everything out of the plane. Link found himself pulled in by the force of decompression. Minute by minute, he plummeted toward waters of the sea below.
He drew deep within himself, calling on the force of magic flowing in his veins. A green wind surrounded him, and he twisted his body around in a corkscrew maneuver. Green light whisked him away, moving him closer to the water and breaking his fall. He crashed into the water with a splash.
Bubbles fizzed around him. Fire glimmered on the surface of the dark waters above. Link held his breath and swam to the surface. With a gasp, his head pierced the surface of the sea. He looked at the heavens, and watched as the plane became engulfed by fire. It crashed into the water, and with a loud boom, exploded.
He turned his attention to the screams around him. Like boulders, the Goron hybrids that survived the fall into the water sank to the bottom of the watery abyss beneath them, disappearing into darkness. Other bodies, both Zoran and humanoid alike, floated lifelessly in the water. He shook his head at the sight around him.
"No!"
Link swam toward the wreckage and the other survivors floating in the water. Off into the distance, he spotted the still body of the woman he encountered. As he watched her begin to sink into the water, he doubled his efforts to reach her. He fought the ocean currents, which threatened to drag him down along with the other casualties of the night.
He dove into the water. Despite the sting of the salty sea water in his eyes, Link grabbed the woman's arm and began pulling her to the surface. He swam toward a piece of wreckage floating on the water. The woman's head bobbed in his arm. As he grabbed onto a sheet of metal floating in the water, he feared the worst.
Frantic, he pushed her body out of the water and onto the sheet of metal. The woman began to cough up water. Relieved by her signs of life, he shifted his gaze back to the sea, in search of other survivors. Link felt his fatigue worsen, and as minutes passed, he found himself struggling to keep his head above water.
I have to help them... I have to...
His body sank into the water. He tried to push his body further, to pierce the surface again, but the right side of his body would not move. The light in his left eye began to flicker and fade as Link felt his consciousness slip away. Darkness enveloped the world around him, drowning out all other awareness. Before the black abyss consumed him completely, he reached into a pouch and pulled out a mask depicting the face of a Zora.
I'm not... gonna... die here...
Link placed the mask on his face. Memories of the dead assaulted his mind. He lacked the energy to scream. He could do nothing more than close his eyes and allow the magic of the mask to embrace his twisted form.
And on that day, the world was changed forever.