Hello everyone!
Welcome back, Visitor! Sorry about all the cliffhangers x.x. I have a habit of ending each chapter on a hook for webaudiences... I know it's not necesary (if you've read this far, then you've got to be interested o.o; ) but habits die hard. I'll try to limit my uses of them, but most are used as convenient chapter breaks as well as hooks. In the next two chapters you'll get a glimpse of Link's more vulnerable side, and then we'll move back into the flow of the action. I've written a turning point chapter, which will be followed by a few chapters of buildup... and then we'll roll into the final stages of the fic. I promise not to reveal anything else . Also, thanks for the well wishes on the job front. We open this week, so hopefully my schedule will clear soon x.x; finally, thanks for the typo spotting! I'll fix it right away.
TalimTheWindWaker, always a pleasure to have you here . Thanks for the compliment too, heh. I get curious about how people feel about things and tend to draw a lot of attention to that... sometimes with negative effects, but sometimes things turn out alright x.x.
Nicely said, Sirale Lythling . And Chuck, welcome to the world of Quietus!
Quietus is still rolling forward, though its pace might slacken now and then. I've been focusing most of my creativity on some original designs right now, so I haven't had much to spare on Quietus... but luckily, I know where I want to go with all this, so don't expect any major writing blocks soon! As always, however, my time gets limited quite easy, so it may take days to get back to writing, but like I said before, Quietus will be finished.
I hope you enjoy the next few chapters. I'm personally reserving judgment, but I'm eager to hear what you guys think of it.
Legend of Zelda and all official characters are licensed by Nintendo. They are not mine, I take no credit for them, and I make no profit off of them. All extra characters are mine, as well as the overall plot of the story.
It takes a while to finish a chapter, so expect sporadic updates. I'll try to post every time I finish a chapter. Finally, I hope you all will enjoy the fic.
The Legend of Zelda: Quietus
XXI
By nightfall, the rumor had made its way through both the town and castle. The Hero of Time had returned. The Hero of Time will save us. The Hero of Time had been fighting all along. The Hero of Time was here, we just didn't know it.
Of course, there were many doubters, but when the alleged Hero of Time's service record was put forth even they had to think twice.
The sun had just gone down when the rumor made its way to Zelda's ears. She dismissed it immediately as nonsense, but the thought refused to leave her mind. She often recognized Link as an extraordinary Hylian and soldier of nearly unparalleled courage… Caleb was the one who first told her of this… but could he really be the Hero of Time? Ha had given no sign or indication that he was, though he had done enough to prove himself twice over were he to make the claim.
And yet no one had seen him since he escorted his brother out of the castle.
Naturally, Zelda was worried. It seemed she did a lot of worrying in these days, with the thought of war in Hyrule lurking around every mental corner. But the war was her father's main concern. Zelda looked out for the people – and none more so than Link. When word of his disappearance reached her, she immediately retrieved her traveling cloak and left the castle.
He was not an easy Hylian to find. Link never visited the taverns or game houses in town. He never cavorted about with other soldiers. To Zelda's knowledge, he never even left the castle unless there was good reason to.
There are no places he would be likely to visit, she thought as she paused at the fountain in the near-empty marketplace. I suppose I should search the most unlikely places, then. But where? She could think of several but ruled them out immediately. No matter what Link's state of mind, he would not go there. So where, then, would he go?
Her answer came in the form of bells intoning deeply over the town.
--
Even Zelda's light footsteps echoed in the entrance hall of the Temple of Time. Not for the first time, she took a moment to observe the tapestries embroidered with scenes from the Imprisoning War. She found them very beautiful, and frequently said so to the clergy. Now was not the time, though, for such idle thoughts.
A monk led her down a carpeted path to the main chamber. At its entrance, the monk gestured to the Hylian who knelt before the Alter of the Three Jewels. "He has been here most of the day," whispered the monk. "He is wrestling with deep thoughts, my lady. I hope your presence soothes his troubled heart."
"I hope so too," murmured the princess as she approached Link. He did not turn. It was only when she stood behind him did he speak.
"My lady," he said quietly, "forgive me for not presenting myself to you earlier. I… lost track of time…"
Perhaps she was the only one who saw the unintended pun in his admission. "Do not apologize, Link… you have had quite a day…"
Link murmured something incoherent and sighed.
Zelda moved beside him and knelt. "Link… are you alright?"
There was heavy silence for a moment before Link spoke, and when he did, his voice trembled. "…I don't know, Zelda… I don't know if I can do this…"
The princess did not interrupt. She placed a hand gently on his shoulder to urge him to continue.
"He is my brother!" Link exclaimed, lifting his head to gaze past the Alter and to the Triforce design on the wall behind it. Zelda was surprised to see tears running down his cheeks. "How can I fight him? How can I go onto a battlefield hoping to kill him? He's the only family I have left, and he is forcing me to destroy him!
"And now the people think I am the Hero they've been waiting for," Link said bitterly. "They won't listen to my protests. I knew that priest was a scoundrel, but I didn't realize how far he would take his nonsense. I can't even get to the castle without some Hylian asking for miracles or trying to earn my favor. My favor!" Link spit the words out like venom. "No matter how hard I protest, no matter how much I denounce the title, no one will listen. Caius has poisoned their minds into thinking I am someone I am not, and now the entire town has placed their hopes and prayers solely upon my shoulders.
"How can I save my brother when all of Hyrule calls for his death?" Link asked. "They expect the Hero of Time to destroy all of Ganon's plans. As a Hylian Knight, I owe it to you, your father, the entire country of Hyrule, and even the memory of my parents and my uncle to do whatever I can to put a stop to his threat. But they ask me to kill my own brother! He will not be swayed by anything I say, and Goddesses know I've tried, I've tried to stop him before he hurt anyone…
"What am I supposed to do?" He demanded of the empty temple chamber. "What am I supposed to do?"
Zelda was shaken. Link had always been the strongest Hylian she knew. Nothing seemed to bother him, and he always regarded life with a steadfast determination that she admired. Now he was in a temple on his knees, crying out in despair. The princess knew that something had been clawing at his soul for some time… and now he had taken her into his confidence, allowed her to see what he tried to hide from the world. She was touched but saddened.
"You do not deserve such cruelty, Link," she murmured. You are too honorable to denounce your duty, to both land and family, and so you are tormented… Yet… so too is your brother…
As Link trembled beneath her hand, the memory of Eriol's sole encounter her came to her mind.
--
The morning after Eriol's arrival, there was a knock at Zelda's door. She had been up for some time already and had already dressed, but found the thought of an early visitor curious. Upon opening the door, she was surprised, and not pleasantly so, so see Eriol shifting uncomfortably from foot to foot.
"Princess Zelda," he said, bowing his head slightly in respect. "I…I know it's early, but I wanted to speak to you…"
Even though she had only met him the day before, Zelda found Eriol to be an arrogant, spoiled brat. She was surprised to see him so nervous at her door. With a slight frown, she nodded and stepped aside to let him in. "Very well, lord Eriol… come in."
His smile of pleasure was difficult to miss. It seemed that he took delight in being called by his title, whether he had earned it or not. He did not notice the lack of respect in Zelda's voice.
He entered Zelda's chambers with a nervousness she expected of villager attending a royal ceremony. She wondered where his arrogant poise had gone to. "What may I do for you this morning?"
Eriol turned to face the princess and hesitated. "I…you… you have a very nice room, princess…"
"Thank you." She remained by the door, waiting expectantly for her visitor to continue.
"Er… yes, well," Eriol muttered. Is this really the same boy who leads Ganon's army to war? thought Zelda. "I wanted to ask you something," Eriol finished.
"Yes?"
He took a breath and was painfully obvious about gathering his courage. "I would like you to persuade your father to give in to lord Ganon's demands."
"Why on earth would I do that?" Zelda asked.
"Because if you don't, Hyrule will burn." It was not a threat. Zelda was surprised to discover it was a plea. "The army I command is vast and bloodthirsty. They will not stop until your soldiers are killed and your father is overthrown. If you surrender now, we can negotiate the peaceful treatment of your family and your army."
"Perhaps," Zelda conceded. "Or you could surrender to us. I cannot say that I support your efforts to fight on behalf of the monsters," who need no help in defending themselves, "but there may be something we could do for the Hadar. If you lay down your weapons, lord Eriol, you will be treated with the utmost respect."
Eriol stiffened and his eyes hardened. "I cannot surrender."
"Nor can we."
The two stood for a moment staring at each other. Zelda found a growing curiosity concerning Eriol within her. He seemed earnest in fighting for what he thought was best for Hyrule as well as sparing Hyrule the toils of war.
"Why do you give yourself so freely to Ganon?" Zelda asked, making sure that it didn't sound like a challenge or an insult.
Eriol appeared to be weighing her words carefully. After a moment of hesitation, he spoke. "…I gave my oath to him."
"Why?"
"He gave me power." Eriol's left hand clenched. Zelda felt a small shock go through her own left hand. "It was the only way I could..." he paused, evidently fearing that he had said too much.
"…Defeat Link," Zelda finished.
Eriol clenched both hands and his face flushed with anger. "…I hope you don't get too fond of him. He isn't what everyone thinks he is." At that point he tried to storm from her room, but Zelda stopped him at the door with a hand on his shoulder.
"Eriol… if you wish to prove yourself, there are better ways to do it than to destroy Hyrule. Your brother… everything that people admire him for came from hard, honest work. If you're willing to make the effort, then you'll get the recognition you desire. But not likes this… never like this."
For a moment, Eriol did not move. Then he gently, almost humbly, moved Zelda's hand away. "I'm sorry for bothering you so early."
And then he left.
--
He is confused, Zelda thought to herself as she tried to comfort Link. He wants to prove himself, but he is confused as to how… He really isn't evil…
"What am I supposed to do," Link murmured softly. "I can't fight him…I can't kill my own brother…"
"You won't have to kill him," Zelda said. She moved one hand to the side of Link's face. "Link… look at me. You will make him see reason. You will bring him home, peacefully, and the two of you will be able to settle your differences without bloodshed."
Link stared longingly into her eyes for a moment before lowering his head. "And what of the war? The people… they think I'm something I am not… they think that I'll lead them to victory when… Zelda, I don't know if we can win this war…"
"Do not say that. We will win this war." Zelda smiled faintly. "With you on our side, we cannot lose."
Link closed his eyes. "Please, don't say that… I… I don't know if I can do it…"
Zelda felt her heart ache at Link's words. She moved closer to him and pulled him gently into her arms. "Link… have faith in yourself. You may not be the Hero of Time, but you are a Knight of Hyrule. Only the bravest become Knights. Only the strongest. You have proved, time and time again, that you are worthy of your title. Now is no different. You will triumph, as you always have. You love Hyrule too much to see it burn, and you love your brother too much to see him fall in Ganon's twisted crusade."
Her voice became firm. "You have been through difficult times, Link. You do not deserve to endure such cruelty. But you have a duty to perform, because you are who you are. Your duty is to save your brother, and to do that you must oppose Ganon. Once the war is won, then you can live in peace. Do you understand, Link?"
Link had tensed when Zelda wrapped her arms around him, but he slowly eased into her embrace. "Zelda… I…" He swallowed and steadied his voice. "Yes…I… I understand."
Zelda closed her eyes and rested her chin on his shoulder. "Good. Please, do not allow such dark thoughts to cloud your mind… you are a strong Hylian, and regardless of what you might think, there is no one I would trust more than you to save our land. I have faith in you."
"Yes… I'm sorry, princess… I don't know what came over me…"
"Doubt," Zelda chuckled. "That is what came over you."
She could almost feel Link's smile. "Yes… that's true." He moved one arm awkwardly around her.
Zelda felt her heart flutter at his touch and for a moment the ache at seeing him despair faded. He had come to the temple wounded but her touch had mended his heart, at least for now. She was glad she could help him, but there was something more she felt. There was something she wanted to tell him… but now was not the time.
With reluctance, Zelda slowly pulled away from him and stood. He stood as well and wiped his tears away with the back of his hand. She took his other hand and smiled reassuringly at him. He smiled faintly in return. For the moment, he was the same steadfast Knight she adored.
"You're right. I shouldn't waist time feeling sorry for myself. There's a lot of work to be done. We have to prepare a strategy against Ganon's forces."
"I am glad you are prepared to return to duty," a voice rumbled throughout the quiet room. "But I wonder, just how committed are you to doing what is necessary?"