Author's Note: At last, an update! I randomly started writing this earlier tonight, and it just flowed so easily... I'm amazed! Of course, that's what listening to a lot of classical music can do to you, I guess. It gets the creative juices flowing!
In case anyone is curious, this chapter was heavily influenced by "Diea irae" by Mozart (for the last part especially) and the hymn "O Successors" by Hildegard of Bingen (mostly for Epona-centered parts). Both are wonderful selections - listen to them if you get the chance!
So, lots of transitions in this chapter, but I have lots of characters to keep in mind. I won't waste anymore of your time here - I just hope this was worth the wait!
Enjoy, and please leave a comment!
Disclaimer: I do not own anything "Legend of Zelda."
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10.
The red dawn gave way to a misty morning. Word had spread that the Hero of Hyrule had been bewitched, and the village of Ordon was stuck in a fog of misery.
Little Colin overheard his father talking about the situation with some of the other men in hushed tones before breakfast. He sat hidden in the shadows of the stairwell, listening intently.
"- hurt that poor girl. It just isn't like him," the owner of the watermill was saying.
"Of course it isn't like him!" Rusl snapped. "He wasn't himself, Jaggle! Did you not understand what happened? He was – and probably still is, gods help him – possessed by some foul spirit."
"Do you think it's that dark magician again?" That was old, timid Hanch, sounding very much like the very idea of the magician frightened him out of his wits.
"I wouldn't doubt it," Rusl said.
"What are we going to do?" yet another man chimed in, and Colin recognized it as the mayor's gruff voice.
"I have no idea," Rusl replied quietly, his voice thick with emotion. "We've never had to save Link before. It's always been him doing the saving, you know?"
"Bless the kid, I hope he gets through this," Jaggle said after a moment of silence. There were murmurs of agreement and then they retreated out the door, off to do the daily chores.
Colin was frozen at the top of the stairs, one little hand clutched to his chest. His blue eyes were wide and full of tears.
Possessed by a foul spirit? Dark magician? What was going on? And why were the men praying for Link's safety?
It's Link, Colin thought. He's always safe. That can never change.
At that moment his little sister Ola began to cry. He stood and went to her room silently, even though he heard Uli stirring downstairs. Once in her room, he stood on tip-toes and peered into her crib.
"It's okay," he whispered. "Big brother is here." Ola paused in her crying, huge eyes taking him in, but continued right on wailing when she determined that he was not the one she wanted. Colin smiled slightly. "It's okay," he said. "But I am your big brother, and I'll be here for you always."
He left her room, passing his distracted mother on the way, and returned to his seat at the top of the stairs.
I'm her big brother. Just like Link is mine. He sniffled and rubbed his hand over his eyes, not even realizing he had been crying.
He'll be okay. I know it, he thought. He has to be.
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Link had no idea where he was.
He last remembered being in Faron Woods, but then he had blacked out, and now he was here, at the entrance to a cave he had never seen before in his life, and he had no idea how he had gotten there.
His body felt heavy and foreign, his legs and arms like they were filled with lead. He tried to life his right hand and found it almost impossible to do. His muscles quaked with the effort, but somehow he managed to raise his hand. It shook before his face and it looked too pale in the morning light. Dirt smudges and dark red stains stood out against the whiteness of his skin and he frowned, trying to recall where they had come from.
Faintly, Link saw a face in his mind's eye. A pretty girl with dark skin and light hair, huge brown doe eyes wide with fright. He waited for recognition to click, but there was nothing. She had been in his way. He had pushed her aside. That was all.
He finally allowed his hand to drop in order to take in his surroundings. The cave before him was deep, the darkness within impenetrable. He thought he could hear the unearthly screeches of keese coming from inside and knew they were something he should avoid, but his body moved of its own will. He took a step forward and let the darkness envelope him.
It seemed to take forever for him to walk through the dark cavern. His footsteps echoed wetly off the rock walls, and he could sense all kinds of vermin skittering unseen in the shadows, following his every move. Link's numb fingers itched for his sword, sheathed at his hip, but he resisted. Nothing had attacked him yet; maybe nothing would.
At long last he came to a lighted area. In the middle stood a large black throne, on which was a large dark-skinned man with a dark red beard and prominent brow. He was reclined casually in the throne, looking for all the world like he had just woken up. In one hand was an unsheathed sword, resting across his knee. His other hand was underneath his chin, elbow propped on the armrest. He watched Link approach with sharp eyes and a half-smile.
"Welcome, my friend, to your new home."
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Epona awoke feeling sore and disoriented. She groaned and pressed a delicate hand to her aching forehead, then let out a small gasp when she felt the bandages there.
Memories came rushing back: Link, the attack, her fall, those eyes…
She whimpered and shut her eyes, trying to erase the images from her mind. Link's black eyes had haunted all of her dreams, and now they would haunt her waking hours, as well?
The memories were horrible. Link, her Link, eyes pitch black, lunging for her, sending her tumbling down the staircase into pain. No, it could not have been her Link. Her Link was kind, gentle, noble… he would never hurt her.
And yet…
Epona hugged herself, burying her face into the back of the couch she was resting on. Her throat felt swollen and her nose and eyes prickled. She felt like she was going to explode with emotion. She squeezed her eyes shut, attempting to keep it in, but a wet, cold tear leaked out of the corner of her right eye and trickled down her face. She froze and lifted one hand to wipe away the offending wetness, then hesitantly licked her hand, tasting salt.
The last time she had cried, Link had been there to comfort her. He had held her and rubbed her back and whispered loving, encouraging things in her ear. And now… now he was nowhere.
Epona had cried before as a human, but never like this. She allowed the sobs to wrench their painful way out of her chest. Her throat was clogged with emotion, her eyes and nose wetly throbbing. She ignored Ilia when the girl came to comfort her, instead hiding her face in the couch.
Her Link was gone. He was gone, and she had no idea how to get him back.
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Princess Zelda stood at the doorway of her wardrobe, staring at the contents blankly. Dresses upon dresses, cloaks, undergarments, formal robes. All of no good in a situation like this. She stared and stared.
She had sworn never to use it again. She had hidden it away, never to be taken out. She had not practiced her skills in years, although deep down she knew they would always be with her. There were some things one never forgot.
Zelda abruptly shoved aside the dresses and reached back into the deep recesses of the wardrobe, pulling out a dust-covered box. She took it and placed it reverently on her pristine white bed, wiping the dust off with a careful hand. The lid came off with little trouble; she set it aside. Her eyes lingered on the beautiful fabric. She allowed her hand to caress it, to remember it.
It was time to wear it again.
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Epona managed to choke down a light breakfast of toast and warm milk, after much urging from Ilia. Her eyes were still red-rimmed and bloodshot from all the crying she had done, but she appeared better as she sat with the mayor and his daughter at their breakfast table.
"I have received word from the princess that troops are being sent out to search for Link," Bo said quietly after quite a long silence. Epona lowered her eyes to her empty plate at the mention of Link but said nothing. Ilia glanced at the girl worriedly, but turned to her father.
"Troops? Really?" she asked. She lowered her voice. "You don't think they'll hurt him, do you?"
"Of course not!" Mayor Bo boomed, waving a hand. "He's the Hero of Hyrule! What could they possibly do?"
Epona suddenly rose from the table with a mumbled, "Excuse me." She was just about out the door when she paused, turned back, and curtsied.
"Thank you for everything."
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Renado was not surprised when Epona knocked on his door in the early hours of the morning. He let her in with barely a greeting and began to make tea.
The girl sat quietly at his table, hair still in disarray, and still clad in the bloodstained nightshirt Link had lent her the night before, although she had pulled a travelling robe on over it.
"I foresaw this," Renado said at long last, stirring the two cups of tea thoughtfully. "Link's corruption, the spreading darkness, the bombs." He turned to her and carried the mugs over to the table. "Tell me, dear one, how do you think you can help?"
"I can talk to him," Epona said, gripping her cup tightly. "Maybe I can tell him to come back."
"But why would he listen to you above anyone else?" Renado asked gently.
"I know him. He will come back." Renado closed his eyes and was silent for a moment.
"It will cost you," he said finally. "I assume you know this?" Epona stared into her tea, her deep brown eyes troubled.
"I do not care," she said. "I love him." Renado nodded.
"Very well."
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A lone figure sprinted from the shadows of Hyrule castle into the vast, misty emptiness of Hyrule Field. A dark cloak billowed from their shoulders, covering their face and head but revealing a skin-tight, navy blue and white outfit. Bandages wound around the pumping arms and legs. From beyond the hood, a shock of blonde hair could be spotted, and a twisted, bound braid escaped from the refines of the cloak to trail in the wind. The figure's body was lean, muscled, fit, and armed with daggers and a long metal whip.
It was the body of a warrior, and it was ready for anything.
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Ganondorf eyed his new servant hungrily. So much power, finally within his grasp. Link looked so small before him, but Ganondorf knew all too well what kind of power his handsome appearance hid, and what the sword at his side could do.
It was time to test him.
Ganondorf snapped his large fingers and two hulking bokoblins appeared from behind his throne, lugging between them a dirty and beaten man. The man's thinning red hair was mussed and broken glasses balanced precariously upon his rather large red nose. He was wearing a sooty smock and seemed to be missing a shoe.
The bokoblins deposited the man near Ganondorf's feet, where he cowered for a moment before turning to the motionless boy before him. His eyes widened in surprise and relief.
"Link!" he cried, crawling toward him. "You've come to save me! Please, please, he has my bombs, he's going to use them, you have to help me!" The man stopped when he realized that Link was watching him blankly, face completely devoid of any emotion or recognition. "Link? It's me, Barnes. Link?" Still, there was nothing. The man's face fell and he stared in almost comic horror. "You aren't Link…"
"Oh, no, I assure you it is him." Ganondorf rose from his throne and stepped over Barnes, coming up behind his motionless prize. He placed one arm almost lovingly around Link's shoulders and it sickened Barnes that the boy did nothing. "He is mine now, bombsmith. But you need not worry about that now. In fact, you need not worry about anything now." The demon thief stepped away, unsheathing Link's Master Sword as he moved.
"Your first test," he said, addressing Link now, spinning the Master Sword and his own weapon playfully, "is a test of fortitude. I want to see what you will do for me, your new master." He flipped the Master Sword so that its blade was in his palm and offered the hilt to Link, who took it wordlessly. Ganondorf rested his sword over his shoulders casually and turned to face Barnes, a wicked smile on his face.
"Kill the bombsmith."
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Cliffy! And more suspense! Remember, comments are like carrots for my plot bunny... Thanks, guys!