*blows on a noisemaker* Happy early Birthday to this fiction!
Zin Hai'ju: Happy Birthday to you!
*cuts the cake* Anyways, as a birthday present from this fiction to you, I got this chapter done EXTRA early! I mean, how's that for a concept?
Zin Hai'ju: Quickly! Someone get me a Banjo so we can do some rock'n birthday songs!
Chapter 11: The Brotherhood of Freedom
"Does anyone see him?" Marth shouted, searching into the distance. Not long after Link had chased after the commander, the bandits were starting to lose their edge. Soon, they were repelled and the mansion was saved.
"Negatory." Ike replied, searching similarly. "Can you see anything, Zelda?" He called out.
The princess, who was still on the roof, shook her head. "No..." She said gravely. Why was she feeling so depressed all of a sudden? Link's gone on even more dangerous missions and has been away longer, but new feelings for the swordsman have immensely complicated her relationship, with both Link and Ike. "I don't see him anywhere."
The still-dark clouds started to thunder, foreshadowing the incoming weather.
Marth called up to Zelda, "I'm sorry, but we'll need to search tomorrow. It's getting late, and the storm's not going to be a light one."
Zelda felt a tug at her heart. Marth was right about the storm being heavy, but she really wanted to see Link again; to see if he was okay, to see if he was still in need of healing, to see if that dirty low-life that hurt him had a nice, grizzly death. She stopped herself there. Why was she being so overprotective? Could it be...
"Zelda!" Marth's voice called, interrupting her thoughts. "Didn't you hear me! We gotta get back inside!"
The princess looked out into the town that Link had chased the Saharan Spy into one last, regretful time before entering the mansion once more.
The Sewers
"...so then I said, 'Sorry, my lady, but my heart belongs to someone else.' But the thing is, it doesn't!"
"There are so many uncountable wrong things with you..."
"Wait, the elf is waking up!"
Link heard the voices of his assailants. He opened up his tired eyes, to see... darkness. Nothing, but darkness.
"Who's there?" Link questioned, alarmed. Another thing he noticed, is that his arms and legs were tied together and he was sitting in a chair. Crap. He thought. Can't bust myself out of this one...
"Good work, Ryan! Those new blindfolds seem to work very well."
"Thanks! Don't you just love my economic decisions?"
"Ehem." Link interrupted. The unknown people appeared to have forgotten about him.
"Oh, right. I got it from here guys." He heard the voice clear his throat. "Where the others?" The voice interrogated.
"What others?" Link asked honestly.
"Come on, elf boy!" The warden shouted. "We know you're working for the Shadow Guns!"
Link's ears perked up. Others who were fighting the Shadow Guns? Perhaps he could somehow persuade them to let him go. "I do not work for those murderous fiends." Link said.
"How can we trust you?"
"Well," Link replied. "I am Link. I come from the Smash Mansion not far from here."
"Link... Wait, aren't you the one who was banned because you viciously attack one of your own?"
Dammit! Link thought. That dumb mistake just won't stop hounding me!
Link silenced himself, unwilling to answer. He felt a punch in gut. "Augh!"
"I asked you a damn question! And by God, you'll answer it! Are you the one who attacked your own?"
Again, Link was silent. This time, he felt a sharp kick in his face. He groaned in pain. Hadn't he beaten enough for one day?
He heard the unsheathing of a dagger.
Apparently not...
"I'll ask you one more time, punk. If you don't answer this time, we'll make sure you stay silent! Did. You. Attack. Your. Own?"
Link tried to open his mouth, but his mind betrayed him. Something told him that this group didn't support fights within the friendship-area.
"Well, this one's useless." The unknown figure raised the dagger high into the air, ready to end Link's life. Link mentally groaned. His life had been threatened FOUR times that day, and he had enough.
"STOP!" A feminine, yet stern voice yelled. "What are you doing to this poor man?"
Link's eyes widened behind his blindfold. It definitely didn't sound like Zelda, or any woman he'd met. But who was his guardian angel that just saved him from being executed? His question was answer as he felt something tugging at the back of the blindfold. After a bit of fiddling, he felt that his arms and legs were free as well, apparently untied.
The blindfold slid off and Link saw his savior. A breath-taking woman had a look of concern on her face and made a frown with her red lips. Her long, blond hair went far past her shoulders. Her bright, green eyes watched the Hylean she had just saved. She wore a leather sleeveless shirt as well as leather pants, both a deep purple color.
"I'm so sorry," Her voice sang. "Junebug can be quite... reckless sometimes." She glared at the man in the back, who had a look of annoyance.
Link found himself staring at the woman. He mentally shook it off and shrugged. "Well, it's only like the fourth time I was about to die today." He said in a casual way. "It's alright. This kind of thing happens to me all the time."
The woman smiled warmly at him. "My name is Ionessa." She said politely. "Why are you down here? Not a lot of people travel in the sewers."
Link decided to tell the truth to Ionessa. "I was chasing down a Shadow Guns general who called himself the 'Saharan Spy'. Unfortunately, I was stopped in my tracks when I was jumped by someone."
Ionessa bit her lip guiltily. "I'm terribly sorry," She beckoned Link to follow her out the door. "You see, I actually belong to a secluded organization called the 'Brotherhood of Freedom'. We've been silently waging war with the Shadow Guns. We actually have the Saharan Spy in captivity. Our guards must have attacked you too, apparently."
Link looked around. No longer was he in the sewers, but in a small camp on the outskirts of Smashville. About 10 large tents were set up, 2 of them filled with weapons and supplies. A blazing fireplace was set in the middle of the camp, where several people were conversing amongst each other.
Ionessa waved. "Leo!" She called out to the men at the fire. "He's awakened!"
One of the men beckoned the two to come to him. They obeyed.
"Welcome," The man said. He looked no older than 21, perhaps still an adolescence. He had black hair, long and unkept, going down to past his eyes. He had a tight, blue, sleeveless armor piece that had a few emergency throwing knives hidden in the folds. His blue gloves and pants all had ready-to-use throwing knives and equipment. Even his boots had sharp blades sticking out, making even a simple kick a deadly tactic. "Sorry for our guards attacking you. Usually, the only other people lurking in the sewers are the Shadow Guns themselves. My name's Leonardo, but everyone calls me 'Leo.'"
Link nodded. "I forgive you. Anyone who's fighting these wretches is a friend of mine."
Leo smiled at the green-clad man. "You don't look like you're from around here. Who are you and why did you come here?"
"Well," Link began. "My name is Link; I've originally hail from a distant land called 'Hyrule', but came to Smashville years ago to participate in a series of tournaments in the prestigious Smash Mansion."
"Link, eh?" Leo asked. He looked the Hero up and down a bit. "I've heard of you. Some good... but a lot bad. However, I have been hearing some more good recently."
Link nodded slightly, staring into the blazing fire. "I attacked another competitor a few years ago and was banned. He had stolen something very important from me, and I couldn't handle it..."
"What did he steal?" Leo questioned, intrigued by Link's story.
Link looked up at the stranger. "He stole a woman I loved..."
Leo's eyes widened, but slowly shrunk. "I see..."
"After that fiasco," Link continued, "I spent a couple years by myself in a small house. But one night I got attacked by the Shadow Guns. Being the fighter I was, I easily overpowered them, but their attacks soon became more common and deadly, eventually forcing me back to the Smash Mansion. We did some investigating and discovered that one of their leaders, the 'Saharan Spy' they called him, was to lead an assault army to destroy the mansion. We fended them off for a while, but I went by myself to hunt down the spy, eventually chasing him to the sewers."
Leo smiled. "So you're the one who got the spy into our hands! If I had one, I'd give you a medal." Link smiled back, relieved that he didn't have to keep talking about his agonizing journey. "He's one of their main generals, always getting away from us. But thanks to you, we finally have him! I can't thank you enough for this."
Link's face turned a bit red. "Well, do you think that you can possibly find me a shortcut back to the mansion? We still need to plan our next action against these bandits."
The other man thought for a while. "If you Smashers are also fighting against these crooks, then by all means, we should work together. Tell your leader that we're also fighting these bandits. I'll send an emissary tomorrow, noon. Melinda!" He called out.
Another woman, who looked a bit younger than Leo, walked up to the trio, standing close to the Brotherhood's leader. "Yes, Leo?" She inquired.
"You and Ionessa will escort Link back to the Smash Mansion through our underground passageways." Leo instructed.
Melinda smiled warmly at her commander. "Won't you miss me?"
Leo pulled the girl into a quick hug. "Of course I will, babe."
"Err... Can you please not do that?" Link asked. It was already bad enough that Zelda didn't return his feelings, but staring at a couple that represented more or less of what he wanted with her was just plain hurtful.
Melinda raised an eyebrow at the newcomer, but Ionessa giggled slightly. "Follow me, Link." The two girls made a run towards the bustling city of Smashville, with Link following close behind.
Smash Mansion
Zelda couldn't sleep. She tossed and turned, but just couldn't rest. It was starting to rain, and thunder was roaring, and she was concerned for Link's safety.
Zelda sighed. She ignited her fingertip to find her way around the room. Link had yet to return. Zelda pouted. "I'm going to find him." She said quietly, careful not to awake her roommate.
She slowly wandered to her closet and threw off her nightgown in favor of the more publically decent red one. She focused her magic for a much-longer ranged version of her Farore's Wind spell. She used her magic to take her in front of the mansion.
Zelda shivered at the temperature decrease. She hugged herself as she started her trek into the city.
She thought about how hectic her life has been in the past few days. She loved the excitement and close calls, but what she really liked, was having Link around.
She didn't know why, but just being around Link was enough to lift her spirits. She loved his company and stood up for him to get him a room at the mansion.
She felt sadness and grief when he disappeared to find the Shadow Guns general. She felt anger and resentment against the man who had harmed him so. She felt happiness and bliss when he tickled and played with her. And then, realization hit her like a brick to the face.
She was falling in love with Link.
Zelda stopped, realizing her thoughts and feelings. She was falling in love with the man she had known nearly all her life since that fateful day in her garden.
"I need to tell him..." She said softly.
Thanks to the streets being so illuminated thanks to the multitude of street lights and open shops, it wasn't long until Zelda had finally found Link.
She stood across the street from him. Link hadn't seen her yet. He was too busy talking with Ionessa to notice her. They laughed as they talked, angering Zelda. She also noticed they were standing a little too close to each other.
And then Ionessa kissed Link on the cheek.
But Link wasn't disgusted or appalled by it... he even seemed... happy.
Zelda's heart sunk. "How...?" Was the only word she could muster. The two walked towards the mansion after noticing their other companion beckoning, leaving Zelda, who they still didn't notice, behind. Zelda felt a sudden depression overcome her as she watched this mysterious woman carry away Link from her.
"Why...?"
Ooh! Looks like Zelda has some competition... (evil smiley)
Zin Hai'ju: I thought you didn't do stuff like this.
I thought so too, then I realized it's this kind of dramatic crap that keeps people interested; myself included.
Zin Hai'ju: Ingenious! Well, good day, reader! See you in the next chapter!