Disclaimer: This is complete and utter fiction.
AN: Link chapter. I'm relived to be writing this era again.
I found out I made a repetitive mistake. Badge's story is actually 100 years earlier than Link's. The 500 year marker is really when the three goddesses landed/created Hyrule. This little error doesn't affect the story that much but I like to be accurate.
Link woke up inside the entrance of the spirit temple. Steel spiked traps skated across rock creating the scraping noise that woke him up. He was surprised it wasn't Badge's voice instead.
He had been lying on his back like he passed out. Badge was the one controlling the body, and carrying him through the haunted wastelands. What was going on? He still felt his presence, but…
"Badge? Badge!"
("Whaaat?! Jeez you're so annoying!")
"Oh, sorry I didn't mean to wake you…I just wanted to thank you… for helping me out."
("It's fine… I'm exhausted though. I'm sorry but I'm going to sit this one out if that's alright with you.")
There were certain things about this whole situation that refused to sit well with him. Badge was a spell. Well, no actually he was a spirit… But how was he healing him? He possessed him occasionally but this was the first time he got tired... True, he did just cross a dessert. He was walking nonstop to get here too. That would make anyone tired.
There was however that instant when Badge healed his side in the Gerudo fortress. He wore himself out just doing that too. Not so long ago He took out monsters without breaking a sweat. What was happening?
Link sat up and let his eyes adjust to the dim light. Navi flew out of Link's hat nonchalantly.
"Well, we're here, now what do we do?" She asked dully
"What'd' you mean? We search for the next sage like always."
"How? All the passageways are blocked."
Link frowned. Rising to his feet, he turned to find a short stairway leading to an ancient lobby of sorts.
"This is supposed to be a hide out for this Nabooru person right? How could there not be a way in?" he asked slightly put off.
Indeed both sides of the room; both left and right, were blocked by chunks of rock he had no chance of moving by himself. There was no way he was going to ask Badge to do anything more. Not after everything he did to help him to get this far.
"(Sigh) Great! We can't do anything!" Kicking the boulder, he sunk back down and sat on the temple floor.
"Now hang on Link… this is probably just another puzzle… We've gotten through every other puzzle before we're not going to stop now. Maybe there's something outside we missed? Like a back door?"
"I guess there's no harm in trying."
Link got back on his feet and headed out the door. The storm had died down to a calm, making it easy to move around by far. Link hiked out a couple feet out, to get a better view of the temple. It was huge to say the least.
"Oh. My!!!..."
"The biggest one we've come across I would venture." Navi supplied.
"Oh… back door; gotta find the back door. Such a large place would have more than one entrance right?"
"You won't be able to enter now no matter how valiant your efforts." A sultry voice informed from above.
"How would you know?! Did you even bother to look?!!" Link asked without thinking. Only after he asked, did he recognize that voice. Sheik sat on top of the high gate in front of the temple. He looked down at Link with a bored expression, his head resting in one hand, and his Lyre in the other.
"Even if by some sort of godsend, you managed to get in, there wouldn't be anyone left to save by the time you finally did. The locks on the doors here can only be picked by a child's hands."
"Well there isn't a kid around here for miles. There's no way I'm going back to the Gerudo Village to look for one either."
"You are the Hero of Time are you not?"
"What of it?"
"The Titles 'Princess of Destiny' and 'Hero of Time' are reflexive of their abilities. The Princess of Destiny, in her wisdom, will protect her kingdom from afar, and rise again to banish the evil that threatens the land; whereas, the 'Hero of Time' will fight off evil no matter where it lurks, even if it mean invoking the powers of a legend. "
"If you want to say something, say it. Don't dance around the subject!""
"You hold the master sword yet you know not how to use it to its fullest extent; sad. The Master Sword is a ship with which you can sail upstream and downstream through time's river. You'll find the 'kid' you need to get in the temple up the river of time."
"….oh."
Sheik smiled through his mask, blood red eyes lighting up. In all honesty his eyes looked like how a cat's must, when a cat plays with a rat just before eating it.
"You see what you have to do then?"
"Yes…"
"Good"
Sheik stood up and swan-dived off of the gate in a great, graceful arc. He flipped forward and landed in front of link. He then continued his speech as though he had done nothing out the ordinary.
Link dug his toe in the sand, avoiding having to look at Sheik directly. He did his best to ignore the blush creeping onto his face. He swore it was his figure; Badge was right Sheik had the frame of a girl.
"Having a way back here would be useful though, would it not? Here I'll give you the 'Requiem of the Spirit' so that you may come back here without hassle."
Sheik took out the Lyre and played the somber tune for the Dessert temple. It didn't sound any less grim on the Ocarina.
"You've gotten better with that. This is good. Good luck Hero."
"Wait a minute! Do you know where Princess Zelda might be by any chance?"
"Yes I do."
"Really?! Where!! How can I get there?!"
"Go back to the Temple of Time first Link." Sheik slipped back into the shifting sands. A great wind kicked up, throwing sand in the air surrounding him. When it died down, he disappeared as though he was never there to begin with. Link now stood alone in the ankle-deep dunes of the dessert.
"Come on Link! We have a lead!" Navi cheered.
Link played the Prelude to light, the only hopeful-sounding tune he knew, and flew on the wind to the Temple of time.
They arrived in the grandiose temple seemingly only seconds later. It was the only place that, ironically, withstood the changes of time. Not a single detail had changed within its hallowed walls.
"He had a point. Did you know you could use the Master Sword like that?" Navi squeaked.
"Yeah I did, he told us after I freed Saria from the Forest temple."
"And you never tried it?!"
"Nope"
"Why?! Link you had the power to travel back and forth though time as many times as you wanted without consequence! Why wouldn't you take advantage of it?"
"Because I like being an adult."
"That was your reason?!
"That was my reason. Well, that among other things…."
"You didn't want to at least…..Not even once did you…….Arrrgh!! Hylians!!"
Navi stormed off in a huff towards the stone pedestal, leaving a small trail of fairy dust behind her.
"Link! Sword! Now!"
"Yes mam"
Link caught up with her and reluctantly dropped the sword in the pedestal. Years flew by in a fast current, making a blue light as they past him. The pressure was enough to pop his ears. Even in this, he could feel himself growing shorter. The air pressure retuned to normal. Link now stared at the Master Sword slightly above eye level. He still held it in his hands despite being secured in stone.
"Well what are you waiting for Link?"
"I'm coming, just give me a minute." His voice had a higher pitch than before.
"Why you feel sick?"
"No… I'm fine I'm just going to miss the Master Sword is all…"
"… Great Deku tree give me strength." Navi groaned audibly and floated off towards the exit. Link looked away from the Master Sword to a corner in the back of the room. There was a figure in the darkness. It had its head buried in its knees and appeared to be sleeping. It blended in near-perfectly with the shadows, due to its dark hue. Link almost didn't see it and if he had just left for the dessert right away, he probably would have missed it. Stepping closer, he saw that it was unmistakably a person.
"Badge?"
Silence was his only answer. Link was so used to Badge being there, the silence made him nervous. It finally registered that he was alone. The only reason he couldn't hear Badge's voice was because he wasn't there.
"BADGE!!! WHERE ARE YOU?!!"
The figure stirred. Link pulled out the Kokiri Sword and prepared to fight.
"…d'someone call my name?" The figure asked in a slurred voice, neither lifting his head nor opening his eyes. Link stared at him in amazement. That was Badge sitting in the corner.
"What are you doing there Badge?"
He lifted his head at last more than half awake. This time he looked back at link with equal puzzlement. He squinted his eyes and blink quickly.
"Seamus?"
"Who's Seamus? I'm Link. Are you sure you're awake?"
"Oh… yeah I'm awake. What happened? You shrunk."
"Err… yeah I know. Welcome to seven years earlier." Link grumbled.
Badge kept his eyes fixed on the shorter, younger, Link as though trying to adjust to some new found truth.
"What is that? A throwing knife? Why don't you have the Master Sword? Is it too heavy for you?"
"Oh shut up! Yes it's too big for me to hold! Plus, if I remove it, we're back to seven years in the future!"
("Ellie, I really like you. I've liked you since --")
"…So that dream was real too then…Go Seamus…." Badge muttered
"What are you talking about?"
"Nothing"
"You never answered my question, how come we're separate?"
"The physical traits are too different. We must have fallen out of sync when you turned into a kid."
"… I hate being a kid. Are you feeling better?"
"Yeah, I just needed sleep. Shall we go back to the dessert then?" Badge asked rising to his feet.
"We'll get there eventually. I'm starving I'm going to grab something to eat first. I'll, head off after that."
"Alright then, I'll just follow you" Badge said, now standing at full height.
Link now had to look up to see his face, when before, he could have sworn they were at eye level with each other before.
"Oh this is not cool."
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Link walked outside to find a livelier scene. He had forgotten. He had actually forgotten how cheerful and full of life Hyrule market was. The hustle and bustle of the city was refreshing.
"My God…nothing's changed…"
"Badge, you're scaring me. What do you mean nothing's changed?"
"It's like how it was at the festival…" Badge mused
"… I'm getting food. You're going to talk when we get to the Spirit Temple, ok?"
"What?"
"You're driving me nuts! I'm not used to you being so serious."
"You shouldn't talk to yourself in public. People will wonder"
Link opened his mouth to yell something back at him, but felt the eyes of complete strangers watching him at last.
"Can't people see you?"
"I don't think so. No worries, you're a kid so they'll just think you have an imaginary friend, your not old enough for people to think your nuts. They'll just think you're delusional. You look the type that would make one up too. "
"Grr!!--- There was a fruit stand around here somewhere!" Link pivoted on his heal and stomped off again. Badge simply laughed to himself as he followed him.
Link soon found his lunch and was now on his way to the temple, certain no one would see him there. He was about to play the song when a thought came to him.
Badge wasn't technically attached to him anymore. If he warped, would he lose Badge for good?
The very thought kept him from bringing the Ocarina to his lips.
"…How about we just hoof it?" He asked suddenly.
"Why not warp? Isn't that what the she-male gave you the song for?"
"It's a nice day. Walking there will give badge a chance to explain a few things."
"I never said I would…."
"What?! Are you out of you frigging mind?! The field takes days to cross by foot!" Navi screamed
Link started running out of the Hyrule Market for the great field.
"You really are out of your frigging mind!!"
Link was too far ahead to hear her.
"You really should listen to her. You'll kill yourself walking there with no provisions."
"It's fine! Really! I know exactly where to go for provisions, and maybe even a ride if I'm lucky!"
Link ran towards Lon-Lon ranch with earnest. It took him little more than an hour.
Panting and out of breath, he made it. Taking a moment to catch his breath he walked in. As soon as he arrived, he saw Malon trying to balance a large amount of feed bags.
"Hi Malon! Are you ok with all that?"
"Fairy boy! You're back! Um…can you please help me it's-Oh Shoot! Catch it!"
Link Caught it just as it was about to hit the ground.
"Safe! Thank you so much! I was certain I was going to lose all of it that time!
"I have a name you know." Link mumbled irritably.
"What? Oh! I know, but I like Fairy Boy instead. I've never seen a fairy before you showed up"
"That's your reason?"
"People have done dumber things for less than a reason than that. Or In your case, Link, haven't done." Navi said. She was clearly still miffed at him, though at this point he didn't know what the reason was anymore.
"Hey Malon? I have a favor to ask. Would you mind if I bought some supplies here?"
"Supplies? What kind?"
"Just some food and a couple sacks of water…"
"Sure! If that's all it is, I'm sure we have that in stock."
"Well…I'dliketoborrowEponatoo."
"Say what now?"
"Epona…If I could borrow her as well, I would certainly appreciate it. She'd make things a lot faster."
"For how long? Dad got really mad the last time I let her out."
"Oh…How long… Uh I don't know, a week maybe two?"
"I'll have to ask Dad…I'd let you if it was just up to me since she like's you so much, But he's the one in charge. It's weird you're the only one who could tame her let alone ride her. Here, set it over here."
The two of them managed to set the pile of feed down, gracefully, so none of it spilled.
"Oh, hello Link I didn't know you were here!" Talon stood in the door taking both of them by surprise.
"Eeek! Err… Dad! I didn't see you there!"
"Dad, Link needs two weeks worth of food and Epona."
"Fine"
"No I know he- what?"
"That's Fine. I know he'll bring Epona back. And the supply of food is in the shed. I assume he has enough to pay for it."
"Yes sir, right here" Link said lifting a sack of rubies.
"Everything's fine then"
Talon then, moseyed into the house.
"Well, that was easy. Over here then"
Malon led Link past the chicken coop to the shed near the back.
"What are you up to these days anyway?"
"Oh, nothing out of the ordinary." This wasn't entirely a lie for him.
"Huh, you strike me as the person who lives such a cool lifestyle, full of adventure. I mean you have a fairy for crying out loud."
"You can have her if you want"
Navi smacked Link in the back of the head.
"I keep wishing one day some prince from a far away land would come sweep me off my feet. Then I can say I've escaped a dull existence (sigh)"
Link's mind jumped back to the time Talon, joking of course, asked if he would like to marry Malon one day. He wondered if she told her dad this little fantasy of hers. How would she react if she found out Link said he would. It was a thought he'd rather not come across again.
"Here I think that should hold you for awhile."
"Thanks again Malon. I'll see you soon ok?"
"Ok. I'll hold you to that."
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"Ok Epona, Let's race!"
Epona took off, eager to run loose. Link held on for dear life, hoping all the food would stay on. He hadn't realized how badly Epona wanted to get out and run. Fortunately for him, she went in the exact direction he wanted to go, just at a bit faster pace then he wanted. Badge could hear him screaming all through out the field.
Epona eventually slowed down and Badge caught up with the run away horse and rider.
"Wow, that was nuts. I'd say we now only has half-a-day away. What do you plan do once you get there anyway?" Badge asked.
Link seemed to be scrambling for an answer.
"You don't even know do you?"
"Hang on, I'm thinking."
"Why won't you just use the song to warp there? It makes more sense to do it that way than to travel though the field, trying to get passed the Gerudos, and then the dessert.
"Would you be able to catch up with me if I did?"
"Yes I would actually"
"How the he-?! (ahem) I mean, how could you do that?"
"Not telling"
"…whatever.
"So are you going to warp or what?" Badge pressed.
"Warp already Link!" Navi snapped again
And so link sent Epona back and warped.
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The sands of the dessert were once again in the wind, preventing him from seeing more than an arm's length away from his face.
"Badge! Navi! Where to from here?"
Navi had taken shelter under his hat. Badge simply stood in front of him as though he couldn't feel a thing. For all Link knew, he didn't.
"The temple is only a few feet away. I can see it from here. Just keep moving forward you should be able to see it too.
Link covered his face with the excess of his hat, and trudged forward. Instead of stepping on top of the sand, he moved through it, collecting enough sand in his shoes to make small dunes.
When at last he reached the Spirit temple, he gave himself a break and unloaded his shoes. He was about right. Two miniature dunes were the result of the short trek.
"What's a kid like you doing way out here?" asked a lighter voice from behind.
Link turned around, surprised. A Gerudo, of obviously high rank stared back at him incredulously.
"I doubt there are any kids in Ganondorf's army. Who are you?" Forgetting what he currently looked like, Link blurted out everything.
"My name's Link. I've come to summon the sixth and final sage. I need their help to destroy Ganondorf!"
"Yeah ok kiddie, whatever you say." She said in a condescending tone, ruffling his hair.
"Why don't you go back home where it's safe? Stop playing with fire, you're going to get burned."
"I can't go back. I… sort of got kicked out."
"Well, whatever. I'm Naburoo, a lone wolf thief. To tell you the truth, you're not the only one who opposes Ganondorf. I'll never bow to such an evil man! Actually your timing is awfully convenient. There's a treasure in this temple, the silver gauntlets, but I can't reach it. The tunnel leading to it is far too small for me to get through. Will you help me? You have to promise not to use the gauntlets yourself. Once you get a hold of them, you have to bring them to me ok?"
"Fine, but what about the sage?"
"I don't think you'll find anyone like that here."
"Link, since when did any of them know they were sages from the beginning? Even if she was one she wouldn't know." Navi patiently reminded him.
"Fine then, gauntlets. Wait here I'll go look for them miss. "
---------------------------------
"What an odd lady. First one I agree with." Badge muttered as Link climbed the wall to the next room. Badge sat at the top waiting for Link.
"You can't help me in the least?"
"My hands would go right through you."
"You held a sword in the water temple."
"I couldn't do so afterwards though"
"Bull shit."
"Wow what mouth for such a little kid. Soap?"
"Don't patronize me. I bet you could pull a sword out at any given moment."
"There's no need. You don't want me to either. Trust me, if I pull out my sword when I'm like this, whatever you were facing before would be the least of your problems."
"What were you doing in the Water temple anyway?" Link pulled himself up over the wall and kept moving.
"I was told to wait."
There was only a sun symbol on the floor of the darkened room.
"An easy puzzle at last." Navi announced. However, a screeching roar in the back said otherwise.
"Lizalfos." Link growled out.
The Lizard men lunged at the small boy, staring at him with eyes half mad. They attacked him one at a time, giving him more than a chance to defeat them.
Link sank his sword in the mutant, scaring him away. Then, he took out the slingshot and finished him off from the distance. The second one came from the right, just above him. its sword set to slice Link strait down the middle. Link spun the kokiri sword around, not only killing the Lizalfo, but tossing his remains off to the side in one swing.
Link gave his sword one last swing to flick off the blood and set to work on the puzzle.
"You don't need my help anyway" Badge commented from the entrance. Link ignored him, concentrating on what he could use to make sure the sun symbol had light.
"Bombchu bomb of course!"
He dug though his pouch, and found one. "I love this thing!" He said, implying the pouch he had near the back of his waist. "Holds everything I need and it doesn't weigh a thing! Let's see. Hmm… here should be a good spot!"
He set the bomb down on the ground, and set it to climb up the wall and blow up the smaller rocks that were covering the window-hole. A door revealed itself on the opposite side of the room.
"If you can't do anything, then why tag along?"
"Weren't you the one that wanted me to come with?"
"Yes I know … but why would you do that just cause I told you to, you've never agreed with me before; not so easily anyway."
"I want to make sure you live to defeat Ganon. He will go down one way or another. I don't want things left to chance."
"…..oh, ok then….awkward"
"You asked. You said you got kicked out of your home. What did you do?"
"I killed the Deku tree. Before he died, he told me to go see this 'princess of destiny' in Hyrule castle and to take the Emerald of the Forest with me. I was going to do that, and Mido basically told me that if I was going to leave I shouldn't comeback. Kokiri die if they leave the forest so I figured I couldn't be one of them. They just sort of wither and die as soon as they step one foot out of the forests bounds. Time catches up with them I guess. Rauru, the sage of light later told me I was actually Hylian."
"What were you doing in the Kokiri forest then?"
Link furrowed his eyebrows thinking.
"My mom brought me there. I've never seen her, but that's what the Rauru said."
"Ha-ha! Oh wow, it's real…The story's entirely real." Badge laughed darkly, covering the lower half of his face in disbelief.
"You're talking to yourself again."
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Link came to a large room that seemed like it belonged more in a castle with its pillars of stone proceeding a large suit of armor, in a tall throne-like chair. There the 'king' waited for him alone. Link slowly pulled the Kokiri blade out cautiously. Badge stood near the back eyeing the bulky figure.
As Link walked closer, Badge could have sworn it moved.
It did. It moved quite a lot after that.
"Oh Goddess, more running!!" Link screamed.
Navi did her best to inform him before the next attack came.
"Link! attack it when it stops to take a swing at you with the axe! It'll slow down then!"
Link tucked and rolled, as the Iron Knuckle swung its axe over his head, clipping a few hairs in the process.
Staying low, he let a bomb loose underneath his attacker. The small explosion took off a single chunk of the armor. Link's foe was now quicker on its feet now that the extra weight was removed. The Iron Knuckle seemed blind and reliant on the sounds of his movements. The Iron Knuckle swung its battle axe yet again, this time catching Link in the chest with the flat side. Link crashed through the stone pillars.
Amazed to be alive, he rolled to the side dodging another attack that would have certainly killed him. In his place he left another bomb. The battle axe struck the explosive, and more layers of armor flaked off. There was now only the helmet left.
He ran to the opposite end of the room, gaining what he deemed a safe distance and let loose his last bombchu. The bombchu missed. He didn't have anymore bombs!
His only option now was to attack it head on with the sad excuse for a sword in his hands.
The Iron Knuckle had doubled its speed since the beginning of this fight and was now only a foot at most away from its prey.
Link ducked for the umpteenth time that battle, spun behind the Knuckle and ran his sword though it's back. The helmet fell off as heavily as it would've had it contained a head inside.
The rest of the Iron knuckle collapsed seconds later. Link let out a relieved sigh. It was done. Navi was less calm. She made a furious b-line to Badge.
"What's with you?! why didn't even lift a FINGER to help him!!!"
"Relax miss! I knew he could handle it! I would have come in and helped if he couldn't."
"WHAT ARE YOU? BLIND?! "
"Excuse me for holding more faith in the Hero of Legend than you! Look your fine though, right Link?"
"Yeah I think so. Come on, the Gauntlets have to be somewhere close."
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As it turned out, only one door separated them from the treasure they sought. They stepped outside, once again greeted by the dessert sands and temperature.
"Cooool!"
Link's eyes widened with excitement when he saw them.
"We have to give them to Naburoo Link."
'I can't try them on just once?"
"no."
"Aww, but their so shiny."
At this point, Navi, was turning a scary red color.
"I mean, of course we'll return them to her. That's what we came to do after all." Link covered in a nervous laughter.
On queue, The three of them hear her scream from below.
"let me go! Where are you taking me?! I said LET ME GO!!!"
Each of the twin witches had one of her arms in their bony hands as they dragged her outside. Dropping her to the desert floor they were circling her like buzzards, casting a spell more ancient than he knew.
By the time Link looked down, Badge had dived of the precipice and into the sands after Naburoo. Link wanted to think he imagined it, but he thought he saw a flash of red in Badge's eyes. Naburoo saw Link watching in horror.
"Link! run! Get out of here now!"
One of the witches looked up but couldn't see him from that distance. He was safe at least. His concerns were now below him as he watched Badge run after Naburoo as she sank out of sight. Both were swallowed by the spell.
"Koume, look here! we have another servant!"
"Yes Kotake! This is certainly a pleasant surprise! Won't Ganondorf be pleased? We gave him a new servant and found the one he lost! Eee hee hee!"
I love Dane Cook!