The Legend of Zelda:
The Links of Time
Prologue
Atop Spectacle Rock, Dark World
1675 A.D. (After Deluge) …
Link dropped to his hands and knees. The Master Sword clattered on the granite a foot away.
In the distance, a large shadowy man fell to his back, panting.
The man, his face contorted by the dark power of black magic, gazed over at the Hylian young man with a cold stare. "I just want you to know … I killed your family," he bellowed in a hoarse tone. "I killed your family, Arn and Medilia."
Link, still panting on all fours, looked over at the fatally injured man. "Either the silver Arrow of Truth works quickly, or you are trying to buy yourself time. Don't bother with the later, you shall never walk again…"
"I gain nothing by lying, boy. I just wished you to know it was I, you see, who ordered their deaths. And you nearly rescued them. I understand you made the choice … a child you never met or your mother and your father."
Link tightened his jaw, stared down at the granite slab beneath him, and exhaled through his teeth. "Well, now they're avenged."
"You remind me of the last boy to bear your name. He had three of those pendants. The third one froze everything around him. A very impressive lad. In fact, no, that was two Links ago. But he was from Hyrule. You, however, are not."
"My family is from here. Perhaps I am related … but I always knew I would beat you because I know I'll grow old and die in Calatia." He slumped a bit, then rolled over, and sat on his backside, still panting softly, but he could feel his heartrate calming.
"You know, I was supposed to have beaten the 'Hero of Time,' and you were supposed to have finished me for good. But I lost against that boy, and now things are playing out differently … and I will survive."
Link squinted at Ganon, glaring at the dark-robed man lying on his back about twenty-five feet away. Link rose to one knee, with his right foot firmly on the granite. His green tunic rose and fell with the wind that swept across the mountain's summit. Link narrowed his gaze to thin slits. "I doubt anyone could survive your injuries." His aching body begged him to rest; he sat down on his bottom and watched the dying boar-faced creature's chest rise and fall in a shallow manner.
"You know, I imprisoned Queen Seline of Calatia. I was never prophesized to harm her, but I was worried you might actually kill me once and for all as you should have, so … I broke the prophecy because I wanted to prove that seers can be wrong. So that we are clear, Calatia now has no surviving monarchy. The land will fall into despair once they realize she will not be returning to her throne."
Link replied with a smirk, not wanting to show heartbreak or any other vulnerable emotion to Ganon. Sweat dripped from the twenty-something young man's face. He sat up a bit more, arching his back and craning his neck, then he rubbed a light smear of blood from a scrape on his elbow. "But I've saved Zelda of Hyrule. I will ask her to establish rulership over Calatia, and to maintain order."
"Oh, young boy, you have no idea what you've done. You rescued the princess, and then I discovered how to change time. I put her to sleep, which was not supposed to happen for several generations, and you beat me to awaken her. But now that time will happen differently, I will finally win."
Link scoffed. "At any moment, you will draw your last breath, and Zelda will open her eyes at the palace. Your underlings did well to draw my blood from an injury, capture it on cloth, and use it to revive you. But now those underlings are dead, and so are you."
"Dead? No. I'll be back in a hundred years. And I will end the modern iteration of Zelda as I have ended Queen Seline. You didn't even save the woman who is your queen. Can you even go home to Calatia? Can you show your face there? I doubt it."
"Go ahead, old man – gloat with your dying breath. It's all you know how to do."
"I, Mandrag Ganon, will outlive the 'legends' about me. In various iterations of my past, I've conquered Hyrule, Holodrum, Labrynna, Lorule…"
"Just draw your last breath already."
"Your 'honor code' does not allow you to perform a mercy killing on the damned, and it does not allow you to behead an unarmed man, or even run him through the chest, as you are not an executioner."
"You don't even have a heart."
"Oh, don't be naïve. We all have a muscle in our chests to pump the blood into our veins. The question is whether my blood runs black or red."
Link looked over at this sword. "The darkest red I've ever seen. But the sun appears a different hue in this realm. It very well could be black."
Ganon chortled softly.
"What's so funny, demon?"
"In all the times I have been reborn, I have never taken a moment to get to know the boy of my undoing. And perhaps that is why I have been unsuccessful in the past."
"Whether or not you 'get to know' me does not matter."
"Oh, you do not wish to know your enemy, boy?"
Link scoffed. "I don't need to know you to beat you."
"You arrogant boy. Nearly seventeen hundred years ago, I sent an entire third of Skyloft crashing into the ocean, which created a tsunami that devastated and flooded Hyrule for ages. And when the survivors of Hyrule claimed it was their prayers to the gods that flooded the land with rain, I laughed at their ignorance; they had no idea that was also my doing. I unearthed technology from the pre-ancients that allowed me to seed the clouds for forty days and forty nights – a fitting number from an ancient tale of the pre-ancients."
Link said nothing. He simply pursed his lips in a thin line of threat, rose back up, tall, upon one knee, and gave a firm downward tug on the hem of his tunic to free it of wrinkles.
"Do you hear me?" Ganon bellowed in a hoarse tone. "I drowned that miserable kingdom, and it took centuries for the water to recede! And when it did, I am the one that returned the water to Lorule and the Sacred Realm! You have no idea what kind of power you're up against, boy. What is history for you is merely a memorable anecdote for me, you little fool."
"This 'little fool' put you on your back with your entrails spilling free, with your spine dashed, and waiting for death to overcome you."
Ganon clenched both hands into fists. "A minor setback!"
"I can already hear it in your voice, 'great and scary' demon. I can hear … your lungs grow strained as fluid seeps into them. But I am not the kind of man to leave my enemy to die alone on the battlefield. I am patient. I can wait until you draw your last breath so that I know, for sure, that you are completely finished. And when that time comes, I will take your lifeless body to the portal and have the castle guard decide what to do with you."
"You fool, I am telling you that your world is doomed, it is only a matter of time."
"You think you're something special, but you're just an angry soul, reborn with his old frustrations. Or perhaps your mother didn't embrace you often enough as a child. Whatever the reason, I'm the one who has ended your rampage, Ganon. Now I'm just waiting for you to draw your last breath. Or to present yourself as some sort of threat. Please. Give me a reason. I want a reason, so that I no longer have to hear your endless … whatever this is. An emotional outburst? Whinging? Whichever you wish to call it, it annoys me." Link grinned a bit.
"I brought entire ice caps to Hyrule's Light World from here in the Sacred Realm, and from Lorule, all so that I could hasten the flooding of Hyrule. Hylians honor my actions by naming their calendar after my achievements … sixteen seventy-five after deluge."
"What do you know of the light world? You have not seen it in so long, Ganon."
"I know it was time and hard work that finally restored original Hyrule. And the land designated 'New Hyrule,' while the old one was still flooded, was renamed to Calatia. You see, your bloodline was from the original Hyrule, along with the Temple of Time, which, like the original Lanayru Desert and the Gate of Time, is now in complete ruin. But you will regret your ignorance. I will see to it."
"I regret little but the usage of the Arrow of Truth. By the light of Din's flame, I did not know it would make you loquacious. But please, continue to tell me how you almost defeated me, and how you will almost defeat my future descendants. And how you almost defeated my ancestors. If it is anything like what I experienced today, overexertion was my largest injury."
"Listen and listen well, boy. Because I want you to know what I have done, and what I will do to achieve my vengeance in the very near future…"
"Very near? Like … tomorrow? In a fortnight?"
"Very near in the grand scheme of time … something you are too young to comprehend."
"Oh, Ganon, you have my complete attention."
"Not yet, but I will soon enough."
"That's what I thought," Link replied.
"Foppish bumpkin. You prattle about like the child that you are, but I quickly tire of this."
"Excellent. Then just die already. I bore of you, boar."
"Just know that I have dismantled a key component in the Hyrulian Gate of Time, and in my next iteration, I will focus on destroying the Temple of Time. And now? Now I will destroy the descendant of the Hero of Time with my dying breath."
"I understand parts of Hyrule were rebuilt several times in the past. The temple adjacent to the original castle is supposed to have been one of those buildings. Now it's just … a slab where the floor once was. But it will be rebuilt. You can count on that. Hylians are nothing if not resilient to your centenarian attacks, Ganon. The Royal Family possesses the magic of Hylia to restore that which must be rebuilt. You will see."
"You fool, your understanding of how the Gate of Time was created, as though it were truly 'with magic,' is simple ignorance to the technology involved in its creation. Hyrule is no longer the technical marvel it once was. It has not been such in a very, very long time. The Temple of Time and the Gate of Time neither function nor do they serve a purpose for the future! It is now beyond the comprehension of Hylians and Sheikah to restore it. All that is left is to ensure you never spawn, 'hero.' And now my plan is nearly complete. You never will sire an offspring, and soon, neither will this iteration of humanity. Humanity's second era is approaching its figurative twilight."
"Oh, so now you know the ways of man better than mankind, do you? You are asking me to take you at your word. You? You, the pig-faced demon? The one who was beaten and banished so many times by my ancestors? You are asking me to take you at your word on your opinions of Hylians…?"
"Yes. I am. Because I have lived long enough to understand the ways of your kind."
"You were once human, according to the myths. If that is true, then you have lost touch with your humanity. People will persevere."
"No, boy. You're wrong. Hylians, no, humans in general have not changed except to devolve since the days of the Ancients. Emotionally and technologically, your people have a lot of growing to do. Not every Hylian is like you, Link. They won't rise up as a people and fight me. If they did, I wonder what they would be capable of…? Hmm, I have been returning to strike down Hylia and her chosen hero time and time again … ever since Hylia, herself, lived and cried hot tears over the body of her chosen hero. That is how old I am. And now you see, I have killed you before. I will kill you again. Only this time, I will take your life before you can procreate. Little did I know that Hylia was with child at the time I struck down her chosen hero."
Link grimaced.
"And I am reincarnated. I was born human each time, and then I awaken within the human vessel. I know what it means to be human."
"You? You were human recently?" Link sounded skeptical.
Ganon smirked. "And now you see, boy. Now you see that I am beyond your comprehension!"
"Little remains of the mythology of Hylia. You could be making up these things for all I know."
Ganon's breathing started to sound labored. "I have traced my roots back to Demise the eternal demon that conquered time itself during the penultimate chapter near the end of the first era of humanity, before Hylia's time. And, one day soon, Hyrule will know the physical manifestation of my Malice, so help me…" He narrowed his gaze, staring up at a dark red sky. "It is a shame you will not live to see it." Ganon cut his gaze over to the magical sword still bathed in his blood. He exhaled through semi-clenched teeth. "Speaking of my predecessor, his sword still exists, but it is missing. Like Fi, the spirit of the Master Sword, there exists a sentient blade I seek yet have not found. His name is Ghiranim, and I cannot wait to be reunited with him after all this time. My blade will cut through your entire world!"
Link scoffed. "Do you ever shut up?"
"I have evolved many times over since the days when I pranced around this miserable little world as my last truly mortal iteration … as Ganondorf Dragmire. Perhaps you've heard that name? I was known as the Prince of Thieves and the greatest king of the Gerudo, but that was a number of centuries ago."
"No, I haven't heard that name." Link afforded Ganon with another tired smirk. "Dragmire does not sound … Gerudo to me. You having the face of a boar doesn't help your claim, either."
"I was destined to be a long-lived Gerudo king and ruler of their people. The surname may have been unusual, but it was fitting in its own ways. But that does not matter. It was the Triforce of Power, without Courage and Wisdom that changed me. And now, any who come to this land without the Moon Pearl … they change to reflect their heart. But I am more than the Prince of Thieves. I have become much more."
"Again, Ganon, do you ever shut up? So you were once a prince, were you? Makes sense … entitled personality, royal pain in my side. But look at you now, Mr. Dragmire? Laid out upon thy backside, an arrow jutting from thy chest. Heh. This is the part where you soon turn to dust. Brag all you will, though, prince … for henceforth, all of Hyrule will know how I bested thee on this day."
"If you think you'll add defeating a man of so many accomplishments to your résumé, then you're seriously mistaken, boy."
"I don't know what that's supposed to mean, but by the goddess, Hylia, I just hope your last breath comes quickly."
Ganon chortled in a hoarse manner. He reached up and pulled a heavy silver arrow from his torso. It clattered on the rock surface, glistening with blood on the tip and shaft. "And you, boy, in your little red and green tunic, parading about with your little fancy sword with the little red-gold hilt and red handle. A tempered upgrade on the Master Sword, which was a white blade with a blue handle, as I recall … does it make you feel powerful, boy?"
Link glared at Ganon but said nothing.
"…Do you know how many times you've tried to stop me? How many … versions of you? Do you know how many of your ancestors have tried to stop me forever? How many times you've tried to kill me off 'for good' since even before the Great Flood? Yes, that's right…"
Link remained quiet.
"…You see, this all began long before the Deluge happened. And it will continue until I am fully consumed by my own Malice, and then the physical manifestation of my hatred will consume Hyrule, followed by the world. I will never truly be gone forever. Not until the world is destroyed when the sun, itself, burns out."
Link rose to his feet and picked up his sword. He rubbed his forehead with the backside of his other hand. "You speak bold words for a man who appears as swine, and just had his insides brought to the light of day." He paused for effect, and when Ganon didn't say anything, Link continued. "Did you hear me? I said you speak bold words … for a man nearly cleft in twain. You speak bold words for a man imprisoned here in the sacred realm. For a man who cannot lead his own battles in the light world, so he has mindless creatures doing it for him…"
Ganon grit his teeth. The way he pursed his lips caused his face to contort around his tusks.
Link took a step toward Ganon and spoke in a low yet confident tone. "I've severed your spine with that final blow. All you might manage now, at best, is to speak and flail about somewhat. Your constitution is impressive, but you'll die of thirst long before I consider a mercy killing. It's better than you deserve."
Ganon panted softly, lying on his side. "Aye. You've driven that blasted blade through my spine. I cannot feel my legs. My back is broken. But I will be reborn again. I made my wish on the Triforce when I came here so long ago, ages upon ages before the Great Flood. And do you know what I've done while biding my time? I learned a great deal."
Link grimaced. "By the goddess in heaven, you are attempting to antagonize me to see if you can force my hand, aren't you? You want me to break my code just to stifle your mouth, don't you, demon?"
Ganon continued as if he had never been interrupted. "I learned … about the world before Hylians … before Hylia."
Link sneered. "Blasphemer. Before Hylia, there was Din, Nayru, and Fa-…"
"The three Goddesses were not what you think, fool!" Ganon eased up onto an elbow. He glanced down at his legs, glared at them for no longer functioning, nor being able to feel anything, then he lifted his demonic gaze back up at Link, watching the posture of the young man standing over him. "The mythology, when taken loosely, was not completely inaccurate, but all the details are wrong."
"You have such hubris on your death bed. I almost pity you." Link moved a bit closer to him and nudged his boot against Ganon's limp left leg. "You cannot even feel that your body is suffering … I suppose that makes you lucky. Do you wish for a mercy killing? Is that it?"
Ganon reached up and touched Link's power glove. "Listen, and listen well…"
Link jerked his hand back and glared down at the dying man.
Ganon continued. "…As I want you to understand what I will use to obliterate your descendants upon my return…"
"You are delusional."
"Shut up and listen," Ganon snapped. "Have you ever wondered where this technology came from?"
"Some of it I found in the dungeons. Some of it was passed down from family."
"They're not dungeons," Ganon replied in a flat tone. "They're ancient temples, and the technology found within? Objects left there by an ancient or by someone worshipping the ancients by leaving an offering of archaic technology on an alter some time ago … you were simply the first to liberate the device. Do you even return them when you're finished? No. It doesn't matter. I don't care…"
"What are you even talking about? I took the boomerangs off of a Goriya, and I took the…"
"Not garbage like that!" Ganon bellowed. "A cloak that makes you invisible?! And what of the Staff of Byrna? It makes you invulnerable to attack. Not to mention pendants that allow you to freeze, shake, or explode everything around you! And then there are these … the Power Gloves that allow you to pick up heavy objects with ease…" He remained propped on his elbow, using his free hand to reach out once more, as if trying to either gesture or possibly touch the gauntlet-fused-metallic glove again. He brushed a fingertip over a beautiful red and orange bracelet mounted into the wrist-guard on Link's forearm. "The gloves belonged to your ancestor. You should have only found this trinket … but time occurred differently because I was supposed to have defeated the so-called Hero Of Time, but I failed."
"Whatever that means." Link took a step back to keep Ganon from trying to touch his gauntlet again. He continued to glare at the boar-faced man. "These devices were invented by the ancients. If it is a secret, then it is a secret to everybody, for everyone who sees these weapons recognizes them as technology of the ancients."
Ganon dropped flat onto his back again and stared up at the sun in the sky, which was dark and red like a garnet block illuminated by candlelight. He knew his time was nearly over. "There's a reason I've been reborn and returned … again … and again. You see, you are not the only one to possess technology invented by the ancients. And the tech I have? It's quite a bit older than the devices you've found. In time, I will be whole once more. And you, or per the usual, your descendant … will come for me all over again. It's a never-ending cycle, boy. But do you know what's different next time? I spent all of my time since my reawakening … just preparing for the next time. And it will be glorious."
Link offered no retort. He simply leered at his long-time nemesis. And then a smirk crept across his face. "You sound excited to die. If I'm the hero reborn, why don't I remember anything from before? Here's a theory for you … every ten decades, sometimes longer, a crazy person comes along seeking to live up to the name Ganon, and along comes someone inspired to stop him, like myself. Am I related to the Chosen Hero of Hylia? Am I that very hero, but reborn? I certainly have no past memories like you claim. And if my theory holds true, you wasted your life and you will learn, quite soon, just how insignificant your life really was, because you chose to make poor decisions."
Ganon laughed in amusement. "Your attempt to sway me was almost daunting. But my faith is much stronger than your own." A devious, yet pain-filled smirk tugged at the corner of Ganon's pig-like maw. "Link, my boy … I found a collection of information on the old world…"
"Big deal. There is lots of information about the archaic times, which existed sometime between when the Magical Sword was forged and when ancients descended from their home in the heavens to live upon the earth with the mortals."
"You mean the 'Master Sword.' The 'Goddess Blade.' I have seen all the ancient swords. The Four Sword had a hard-light emitter used to create three constructs of the user, so that a warrior could fight four against one in battle. It was once a sister sword of the Master Sword, called the Picori Blade; they even looked alike. But it was shattered and later reforged with different technology to become the Four Sword."
"You seem to know a lot about the swords of the ancients. Does it feel ironic to have been felled by the one you call the Master Sword?"
"No. It feels like destiny. A hiccup in my plan, nothing more."
"All this information you claimed to have found, and it could not save you from your destiny to die. Why not change in your next rebirth, Ganon? The information of the ancients, like the goddess, should be enough to change anyone."
Ganon scowled in disgust. "No, I'm not talking about Hylia, nor am I talking about the first Link and Zelda's life in Skyloft. Listen well, boy: I am talking about the original old world. The one that no one remembers; the one that existed and was wiped away by the so-called three goddesses."
"Of what world do you speak?"
"You see, boy, it took place long, long before the Great Deluge. Long before Skyloft. Long before Hylia's birth. There was a catastrophic event called a 'World War.' From what I've learned, it was the third-and-final World War. This war was so great, it made the Great Cataclysm of the Triforce seem tame. It was a war so immense and so destructive that it ended the world and wiped away nearly all proof of the forgotten first era humans. A war where so many billions of people fought and bickered with one another, and in the end, killed each other in numbers unfathomable to even the most colorful of imaginations. Entire races of people were killed – nearly worldwide genocide of the human species."
Link ground his molars but continued to remain quiet.
"All their life-saving technology, and it couldn't even save them from themselves," Ganon continued. "Instead, their technology enabled them. And it will enable me. The survivors could not inhabit the light world, so they fled into what they called a 'pocket' … an alternative dimension adjacent to their own, similar in design and landscape, which you now call the Sacred Realm of Gold. Proof of their existence was left here by these peoples … these … irradiated peoples, who restored the so-called light world, and sent their children home to live out their lives in ignorance."
Link scoffed at Ganon. "Your madness was misused. You should have written story books instead."
Ganon ignored the insult and said, "I will return, but not you. I will end your bloodline here and now. Yet if you die, there is always a chance your spirit will reincarnate. I cannot have that happen again. Instead, Link, you will sleep for eternity in a bubble designed by these long-dead scientists."
"Again, you talk too much."
"Sometimes, you don't speak enough," snapped Ganon. "A flaw of your ancestors as well. You never asked for help. You and those before you … always seem contended to fight me alone. This time, it will be your downfall, boy. I may be trapped here in this realm, for now, but I am immortal. And I am patient. And one day, when the time is right and the veil between worlds becomes thinner … I will cross over and claim the light world. But, this time, you and your ilk will not be there to stop me."
"Of course we will. We'll always be there to stop you. Whether it is me, or my future son, or my grandson, or one of the children of my uncle, or even if it's simply another Hylian … humanity will always be there to stop you."
"When I flooded Hyrule, I did so when your ancestor was only a toddler before he could grow to an age where he could become capable of fighting me. I should have killed that child, personally, with my bare hands, but I did not know of his existence. I should have found a way to end your line then. But I have studied you, Link. You only just began your romance with the modern iteration of Zelda, crown princess of Hyrule. You are not married to her; you have no child."
"You keep trying to take the blame for the Great Deluge, but everyone already knows it was the will of the gods and goddesses. Fate flooded Hyrule to keep you from conquering it."
"Oh, is that so? Then how come fate has always used a hero and a princess? But that time, they used rain…? No. There isn't enough water on this planet to flood Hyrule like that. No. I didn't want to conquer Hyrule, I wanted to destroy and bury it. And I did! I buried it beneath the Great Ocean! The waters only receded when I found a way to return a great deal of it back to ice and send those glaciers back to Lorule and my beloved Dark World, from where so much of the water came." Ganon gestured a hand outward, motioning to the world around them.
Link walked over to the silver arrow and picked it up. "Enough. I will grant you a mercy killing."
"No. You won't." Ganon smirked and withdrew a strange grey metal box from his robe. It had a faded look, with lettering along the side that Link did not recognize. "You see this, boy? See these letters? This is the writing of the pre-ancients. It is not runic. It was comprised of something called an alphabet … a series of letters to make words."
"You and your 'pre-ancients.' It's sad that you'll die believing they existed."
"Oh, they existed, Link. They lived before Hylians. Their ears were not pointed. Their civilization was so immense that they had over seven thousand variants of language. Now? There are only a handful of languages left in the world. The information I've unearthed … it's all that's left of the First Age Era humans. Well, that, a few weapons … and this little grey box."
Link tightened his grip on his sword. "What does it do? Drop the box, now."
"Oh, Link, let me answer your question. It does … this." Ganon thumbed a square button set into the top of the box adjacent to a glass rectangle. Faded, dirt-encrusted circles illuminated the top of the box.
A forcefield surrounded Link. He cried out in surprise. His sword couldn't penetrate the energy field.
The bubble lifted Link high above the granite surface where they had battled. He could see streaks of gold laced throughout the flat surface where the portal caused the granite of the light world to intermingle with the gold of the sacred realm.
Ganon eased up onto an elbow again and offered a devious smile. "I kept thinking you would lose your patience and try to attack me sooner. I was going to surprise you with the device, and then tell you what it does, but … unlike many of your predecessors, you actually took a moment to listen to me. Just the same, your becoming trapped in this bubble was inevitable."
"I will escape, I just need time," Link snapped.
"No, boy. You won't. Not this time. With you in stasis and that sword missing along with you … you cannot harm me. And you cannot procreate, now, so your progeny will never be born. I've won, Link. It is over."
Link jammed the sword into the shield bubble that surrounded him, but he could not break it.
"King Harkinian is dead. Queen Seline cried over him. Hmm, I wonder if they used to be lovers?"
Link continued to jam his sword into the bubble, but the force field did not yield, even to the Master Sword.
"I will kill the next iteration of Zelda when I am reborn. My only regret is that I cannot brag to her how I defeated her suitor in death. But the future Zelda? I will destroy her spirits before I crush her heart in my fist. I promise you that much. But don't worry, this stasis pod is designed to return to the light world. There's just one problem … where it will materialize? By my calculation, it will be inside the foothills of Spectacle Rock, likely to remain buried and forgotten until the end of time."
Link ignored him and continued to use various devices in an attempt to free himself of the force field.
"…And then? All the creatures will come together. Your kind calls them monsters. But they are actually genetic mutations that were created by the so-called 'evil air' that was a side effect of the Final Great War of the pre-ancients … that's where the moblins and goriya came from. They were people and ape-like animals that were mutated together into freaks. Freaks like that which I have become from the Triforce of Power … and perhaps that is why these creatures call me their leader. Upon my return, we will work together to destroy the Light World dimension … and then, once and for all, I will show your realm one final catastrophic war to end all wars."
"No!"
"You see, Link, I have unearthed the greatest weapon of the pre-ancients. It will destroy everything. A single blast will wipe Hyrule off the map, and likely Calatia as well. And the denizens of the nearby lands will turn into sickly freaks that look as twisted as me for a time before dropping dead of the most awful pain imaginable as their bodies break down from inside-out."
"You are insane!"
"This weapon … Link, you cannot even begin to understand its destructive capability. That is true power, not created by me, or by this Dark World … but by the pre-ancients that came before Din, Farore, and the other so-called gods and goddesses. In fact, they were not 'gods' at all."
"Again, you speak such sacrilege?! You will be doomed for your heresy alone! Din will burn your soul with her mighty…"
Ganon replied with a hoarse laugh. "Din?! No, boy! Din was never the goddess of fire, you ignorant child! 'She' was a two-stage neutron bomb that wiped an enormous section of the world clean by vaporizing everything from the old era followed by a mighty flame that turned the old world to ash. Then her so-called 'sisters' performed something technologically 'magical' beyond all our comprehension. The task of the goddesses was something called 'terraforming.' These non-existent goddesses created our world from a husk … that much is true. But Din and her sisters? They were never beings. They were devices! And each goddess was simply the name given to technology created by the pre-ancients who, with their dying breath, created a new world. Hylians and Gerudo are simply the genetic descendants of the humans that survived the reformatting of the world they called Earth."
Link sheathed his sword and balled up his fists. "Do whatever you will. You will be stopped. Zelda is just as capable as I am, and wields magic that…"
"WRONG, Link! I am the one who found the secret information left behind by the pre-ancient ones! Can you begin to understand what a 'nano-robot' is? The seemingly magical ability they could grant their user?! No! The reason I've wanted to capture Zelda and her descendants is simple. The technology to operate the final weapon, a tri-stage terraforming device in case the first device did not work! I have recently unearthed it! But the device is controlled by something passed down in her blood, passed on within the Royal Family females – mechanical beings smaller than our eye can see. These beings are passed down in her bloodline and are bound to her. And they grant her technologically assisted abilities that seem magical in nature."
Link narrowed his eyes. "You … sound so sure of yourself, but it sounds so far-fetched. Such technology is surely of tales told by fairies."
"It is not a fairytale, Link."
"Tiny robots inside blood? No. That is not a 'thing,' Ganon."
"It is, boy. And it is these beings, smaller even than the Minish People, that grants her the ability to activate ancient technology, which includes the weapon I unearthed. And that is why I sought her out and, until you rescued her, she was imprisoned in the ancient temple of Spectacle Rock mesa. But it wasn't until just recently that I truly understood just how important her role is in my plan to end your world. And to think, I was so close this time around."
"I can hear the fluid filling your lungs when you speak. You've not long, demon."
Ganon scoffed. "Mm, you liberated her for now. But as I said before, I'll return, and you will not."
"She is hidden away from you, Ganon. You'll never find her in the Light World!"
Ganon's second wind began to fade. His voice grew husky again. "Just because I cannot find her this time does not mean I won't find her in the future. With you out of the way … it's only a matter of time." He thumbed the buttons on the metallic unit, mashing down the crusty keys. The box and its buttons should have been brittle from age, despite being caked with dirt, but the superior build quality was a testament to the ancient device.
A holographic emitter built into the front of the controller displayed a warning message, which hovered above the unit. It displayed lettering that neither man understood. "Mm, the technology of the First Era Pre-Ancient Ones … this technology never ceases to amaze me."
"You're about to die, and my uncle will avenge…" The field incandesced with energy. Link exclaimed with a cry of worry, then he disappeared altogether, along with the Master Sword and all his belongings.
Ganon chortled, speaking to nobody in particular. "Smith?! Ha. Your father's brother will die old and alone, just as the ancestor of Smith died, weary and fat in a dark hallway. Yes, I remember; it happened when first I was revived by Agahnim sometime after the Great Flood, when first I conquered the Sacred Realm. Do you know what I've learned, boy? I have learned that history, much like a river, tends to repeat itself … almost like a cycle of rain and the tide. It's only a matter of time before Hyrule drowns in sorrow again. You'll see."
Silence.
Ganon rolled over and began to pull himself along the ground, grimacing from pain. "With you in stasis, boy, you cannot die but you also cannot be brought back to life. You will simply cease to exist. It will be my last act before I die again … a temporary setback, I assure you, boy."
X
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Chapter -1-
A Link to the Future
Spectacle Rock Observatory
Daruna (Autumn) 1, 2050 A.D. (After Deluge)…
There was a hiss. Everything felt … weird. There was mind numbing cold, but it felt muffled like holding a snowball through a wet mitten. It was distant yet present, making everything feel like pins and needles. The darkness faded into light and the world slid into focus. And then came the warmth. Warm liquid flowed between fingers and toes. It swirled around tingling limbs.
A clear dome eased open on a metal track. It opened more than halfway, then it became stuck with a soft grunt of metal against metal. The glass-like covering bent rather than broke.
"Easy, son." The voice belonged to a man. An aging man by the sound of it. But it wasn't familiar, just … warm. Friendly. Polite. "Welcome back to the world of the living."
The mental fog began to lift from Link's mind. His head hurt as though he'd eaten something cold to the point of excess. But that, too, began to fade. He rubbed his tongue against the roof of his mouth and swallowed repeatedly until the pain subsided.
Link winced from the dryness of his mouth, which he realized only after trying to swallow several times. He felt something brush his lips. The object, whatever it was, was held by another person. He felt wetness against his lips and his instincts took hold.
Link brought his hands up, captured a cup that was held against his mouth and tilted his head back. The water tasted fresh, delicious, as though having just come from a cool spring.
"Slow down, don't drown yourself, young man." The voice again. The aging man. There was something else … Link recognized the words, but it wasn't his native language. No … it was a language he'd learned from one of Princess Zelda's tutors … a language he'd learned later in his life. He recognized and understood it, but it took a moment before his foggy mind concluded its origin.
"Easy now. There's more water; no need to guzzle it like that." It was the language of the ancient Hylians.
Link finished the glass then blinked a few times to help moisten his eyes, dry from disuse. He cleared his throat but said nothing.
"You're the first documented being to ever awaken from suspended animation. Seems this stasis chamber was programmed to do it the right way. Might have been the nutrient bath solution that was used to keep your cells from degrading. Maybe it was the cold, itself. This chamber will warrant further study, son. From what I understand, this chamber utilized some sort of bio-organic anti-freeze solution, with properties that preserved your tissue, and more importantly, your brain."
Link afforded the man with a look of confusion, somewhat following the sentence, but not recognizing some of the terminology. He listened to the man for another moment but still could not comprehend the fancy science terms.
Link continued to blink his eyes, trying to moisturize them. Everything was bright and oversaturated. He squinted a bit, turning his head to face the direction of the voice.
"Congratulations on being the first man to ever survive being frozen at a little over two hundred degrees below zero, centigrade."
Link spoke but his voice sounded gruff and weary. "I confess, I am most confounded by this term – centigrade."
"Oh! Well, that dates you to…at least the Middle Ages. And thank Hylia that you speak our language. We had a translator here just in case. Anyways, I guess you should know that the year is twenty-fifty A.D. After Deluge, of course – what year was it when you were put into stasis? Are you…?" The man trailed off for a moment, then leaned a bit closer and asked, "Are you from before the Great Flood?"
A woman's voice, somewhere in the background, chimed in. She sounded irritated. "Bagu, look at his clothing and gear. I told you he's from the Middle Ages. That's plain to see. And, wow, I need you to confirm that there is no fabric breakdown from the freezing process. Usually, fabric disintegrates when it's frozen like that."
The older man, Bagu, touched Link's tunic over his heart, then gave Link a firm pat on the chest. "You're a stout lad, son." Then Bagu glanced back at the woman and said, "It's perfectly fine, Ruto."
Link pursed his lips together then cleared his throat again. "I would'st seek rede with a priestess, as I believe this to be the year 1675. I … know nothing of this … this pod that has sustained me in slumber without sustenance."
"You were frozen, son. You don't need to eat when you're frozen. Welcome to the future."
Link grimaced. "I would have thought I'd traveled back into a bygone era, not forward. The tongue you spake … it has not been used since before the Great Flood of Hyrule. Prithee, speak slowly. It is a second language to me. I learned such to speak with my intended, to read ancient signs, to read the maps of the underworld dungeons, and so forth."
"You speak it quite well," said Bagu. "It sounds like hearing us speak it is helping you emulate the syntax and grammar."
"I had an excellent teacher, and she motivated me to learn. But she also gifted me a ring … technology of the ancients, I am told. It allows me to comprehend meaning in the spoken word of my fellow man, no matter their preferred lexicon. It allowed me to understand the old tongue of the wisemen and some of the members of the Royal Family. It makes learning a language easier. Having the ring allows me to understand what people say to me. Understanding helps me speak back what is said to me. The stone set into the mount is known as the stone of Rosetta."
Bagu paused then looked back at his female counterpart. "The Rosetta Stone? I thought that was supposed to be a rock with writing examples on it, to help with translations. Have you ever heard of such a thing documented?"
Ruto shook her head. "No."
Bagu eyed Link again. "And you say this device helps you speak to people based on their intent and meaning? Like a telepathy pad?"
Link nodded.
"Yeah right," Ruto sneered. "Actual telepathy between two people without the use of technology is pure nonsense."
"Ruto, have you nothing nice to say?"
She shrugged with a measure of indifference. "Well, I'll give you one thing … he does look like that historian kid whose book you bought. LJ Kasuto, right?"
"Oh! Quite right! That's why he felt familiar to me." Bagu turned back to Link and asked, "What's your name, young man?"
"Link of Calatia. Son of Arn and Medilia."
"A very popular name for males in the Middle Ages. Still is, really. In fact, I knew a Link in college. All right, enough lying about. Come on out, young man." Bagu helped Link from the aged stasis chamber. "Remarkable that the ancient ones made this with its own sustainable power. It's lasted since before recorded time that we know of. Oh, and look at this! You have the Triforce on your left hand! Now that is most fascinating."
Link frowned. "The Triforce … I've come to learn something before I was placed in my long sleep … the Triforce was not an object of the gods, but rather, it was technology of the pre-ancient ones."
The woman snorted. "Now, see, that makes way more sense … technology of a civilization that actually had impressive and advanced tech. But Bagu, here, is all about religion. He's here to prove the myths of the hero are true by means of science. Of course, your kind probably thought it was all just witchcraft or something." She approached Link and offered her hand to him. "Ruto. Doctor Ruto Rauru."
Link flitted his eyes over her strange clothing … she wore some sort of outfit that made her shoulders seem a bit squarer, and the jacket top matched the color of the hemmed pants, which stopped at a pair of strange shoes with tall soles, especially at the heels. He shook her hand. "I'm … accustomed to this being how men greet one another. Forgive me. The customs are different, but I'm happy to respect them."
Ruto chuckled. "Yeah, the Power Suit is back in style again. Big shoulders, and the pant-hem comes down past the shoes, but not to the floor; it requires heels, but I prefer high wedges to stilettos. I know that doesn't mean a lot to you, but … women's fashion emulated equality in the eyes of men to garner respect."
Link blinked. "Women can do anything men can do … while … walking in … shoes like those. While carrying a child on their hip, and sometimes, another on their back or chest. Or both. Women have no need to prove what they are capable of; no man can do what a woman can do."
Ruto flashed a wry grin back at Bagu. "I like him. He's open-minded, especially for his time." As an afterthought she added, "Oh, sorry, were you about to introduce yourself, and I stole your thunder?"
Bagu frowned and offered Link a nod. "Bagu Tantari, like the desert, PhD."
"PhD?" asked Link. "I'm unfamiliar with that title."
Ruto grinned. "It means he's considered a scholar by his peers. Things must be very confusing for you right now. I'll make it simple. There was a war about a hundred and fifty years ago. One of technology, that rivals what most people think of when you consider the Great Cataclysm."
"Your ancestors waged a war on par with the splitting of the Triforce a thousand years before the Great Flood? That sounds … truly horrible."
"After our war, with libraries burned to the ground and our civilization on the brink of extinction, archeologists uncovered antediluvian tomes that gave us information on everything from how to read and write, all the way to how to create modern technology. We're not sure how old it is, but it was written in one of many languages used by the ancients. And we learned how to build computers, weapons that are designed to keep peace, and…" she trailed off and frowned empathetically. "Mm, I'm sorry if I'm rushing along, Link. Things must be much different than what you're used to."
"I'll adapt. Please, continue."
"Well … some countries have adopted a handful of languages used by the Ancient Ones. But what we're speaking, right now, is the most popularly accepted language around the globe."
"Ah." Link licked his lips. "I… To me, this language is considered 'Old Hylian.' It hasn't been spoken outside of the Royal Family and Sheikah Tribe for well over a millennium as I understand it. Although, some myths claim it has been over a millennia before the Great Flood. How did'st … how did, uhm … how did you come to learn it?"
Ruto spoke up again, answering the question. "It was included in some of the books that were unearthed about a hundred and forty years ago, a decade after our grand war."
"You unearthed tomes that helped you?"
"Yes," said Ruto. "We found books and some sort of teaching device used by the ancient ones. It's in a museum, now, but it was designed to teach people how to speak in the old tongue … in the old ways. And that helped the young survivors, who grew old and became the children and grandchildren of the scholars and teachers we have, now. Those who teach shared the language with children that survived the war, and it was quickly adopted by their generation, all across the globe. You see, back then, we … as a global people … were just starting to rebuild, and we were eager to follow an instruction manual of sorts. You know, something that was provided by the books and the device, unearthed by the war's survivors … archeologists … in the post-war period."
Link continued to listen.
Ruto continued to explain. "Anyway, then, we took our best technology and shifted our focuses. Instead of flying bombs to an enemy, we found ways to fly satellites into orbit. Before long, we surpassed where we had been before the war, and never looked back. Hylians and the other races, the Kokiri, the Gorons, the Zora and Rito, the Sheikah and Twili, the remaining Fairies, and, of course, the Gerudo … we all learned how to coexist peacefully. Like, real peace." Ruto paused, lowered her gaze and her tone, and added, "I guess the worry of the world ending again … it was too scary to endure a second time."
"I can only imagine."
"No need to imagine. Our ancestors were obsessed with documenting everything. There are dozens of servers filled with their cell phone videos and pictures. They were horrifying. So … we, the people, promised each other, the survivors I mean, never to put ourselves through that again. Of all the people who lived before that war, ten billion people, only two percent of the world's population survived. That's … that's roughly two hundred million survivors. Spread out across the entire globe. The planet was terrifyingly empty."
"I am glad your ancestors survived. I'm glad my own bloodline survives," said Link.
Bagu said, "And the scariest part of all? All that we have achieved in the past one hundred fifty-some-odd years is just waiting to be taken away again by Ganon."
Ruto cleared her throat and said, "It wasn't that long ago, really. It was a few generations ago; my grandparents were survivors." She sighed softly, then suddenly changed topic. "What is the sword in your gear?"
"I called it the Magical Sword, but its real name is the Master Sword: The blade which seals evil. In my native tongue it was also called Evil's Bane. My predecessor received it from an old man who lived beneath the northeast corner of Hyrule's largest old cemetary. Legend is said that he who takes the sword must master using it, first and foremost."
Bagu's eyes widened. He turned to Dr. Rauru and whispered, "If he is who he is suggesting … this discovery will make both our careers."
Ruto rubbed her chin, keeping her eyes on the sword. "The Master Sword, you say, Mr. Link?"
Bagu chimed in. "Link, what can you tell us about that sword? How did you come by it?"
"The old man, to whom my predecessor gifted it, simply called my blade the Magical Sword. He dwelled in a hidden cavern only emerging to hunt for food and drink from the branch."
Bagu turned to Ruto. "I believe branch is the archaic term for a section of river."
Ruto narrowed her eyes at Bagu. "I'm not an idiot. I majored in the classical era." She cut her gaze to Link again. "Continue, please."
Link nodded. "My predecessor, last to handle the sword, came from Calatia, answered the call of Zelda, crown-princess, and stayed to rule Hyrule at Zelda's side. But in his advanced age, he returned to Calatia with his son after crowning his daughter as Queen of Hyrule. Arn, my grandfather, lived in Calatia, serving as a knight to the Queen of the land, Seline the Second. My grandfather sired Arn, my father. Arn raised me to fight with a blade, and in time, I served Queen Seline the Third of Calatia."
Ruto nodded in acknowledgement but didn't interrupt.
Link continued. "My father's brother, my Uncle Smith, gave me two pendants used by the ancient hero that preceded my predecessor … and … he gave me the sword. My task was a quest back to Hyrule, to return the magical sword to its Hyrulian pedestal. I always imagined it some majestic plinth with a fluted column … something grandiose. But imagine my surprise when I learned it was just … a small concrete block in a concrete circle … in some overgrown woods with fog that rarely lifted."
"What happened next?" asked Ruto.
"I followed in the footfalls of my predecessor. I even obtained a few of his memories. When he retrieved the sword from an old man beneath a gravestone, for example. I shouldn't have those memories. More than once, I've uttered memories that were not mine. It was confusing. But I've managed to sort the dreams from reality, in a manner of speaking."
"That's … wow. Okay. So, what happened when you arrived in Hyrule with the sword? Were you greeted as a hero, or were you looked at as an outsider…?"
"No, neither. I never managed to complete my quest upon arriving in Hyrule. I was overwhelmed by a man … nay, a creature, who wanted the blade. I fought him and fended him off. I met the Princess of the castle, and we felt a connection. It was most assuredly love. Love of the likes sung by bards. We searched for the man-creature together, but could not find him. I made a vow to protect her. We were inseparable. People started dying. In their homes in the darkness of eventide. …In … in the dark of night. I knew right away that my princess was endangered. I set off to find Ganon, chasing him from one ancient temple dungeon to another, until I cornered the man-creature here, to Spectacle Rock. I pierced his heart with a silver Arrow of Light. Yet he still had some fight in him. We fought face to face, grappling with one another, trying to overpower the other. I shoved him back and he charged at me. I stepped to the side and used my blade to sever his spine. Then I dropped to my knees in exhaustion."
Ruto was completely riveted by his anecdote.
Link said, "But he did not yet die. He was near death, that was obvious to me. But as he lay there, dying, Ganon told me of his plans involving the royal family, weapons of global destruction, and … he told me that … while I hunted for him, he sent monsters to Calatia and … he claimed he assassinated my nation's queen. He also boasted that he slew my family just to assert his power. He bragged of it to me. He lay there, bleeding away every drop of sanguine vitae, and yet he vaunted of what he had done to those for whom I care. I knew he would never walk again; I knew he was moments from death, yet still he gloated."
Silence.
Link held back tears, which glistened in his eyes, as he never had a chance to process his grief yet. He exhaled and softly said, "I … I never finished my quest. I failed to protect my queen. I failed to return to my intended, and to make her my betrothed as I had promised. I failed to protect my family from Din's flame, corrupted by Ganon's forces, and now? Now I am here. Should I even bother with returning the sword to its plinth? Does the home of this … this Master Sword even exist anymore? Perhaps it would be better studied by your kind…"
Ruto swallowed back her emotions to stay professional, then she asked, "Link, are you telling me your mission, with that sword, was to return it to the Sanctuary of Time, but you used it to defeat Ganon?"
"Yes. Your summation is … far more practical and concise."
"And you had it with you, so you were never able to return it to the base in Hyrule? Can you … prove it?"
"Did you see, also, my arrows crafted of silver? Did you look at them closely? With the sword and my arrows, I fought Ganon atop of Spectacle Rock. Forgive me, please, as I am … a bit overcome by exhaustion at this time. Just … for as horrible as you have described your great war through which I had slept, I am glad I did not awaken to find Ganon still making his mark upon our world. I assume this means Hylians have defeated him, and, with any hope, he has been laid to rest until the end of time." He studied the look of confusion on Ruto's face.
Ruto reached up and scratched at the side of her head, just above her left temple. "Uh…"
Link frowned. "I am assuming Ganon is the reason for the great war that you described? Is this not … an accurate summation?"
Ruto shook her head and ran her hands back through her hair. "Sweetheart, Ganon is a myth. Supposedly banished to the Dark World of Gold forever ago. There's no real proof he existed, other than seeing his name on old texts unearthed by archeologists in the last fifty years or so. The last person said to have defeated him was a century after you, if you're who we think you are. But me, personally? Sorry, I just don't believe in the so-called devil."
"I never said Ganon was the devil; he is a demon but not the devil. But I can see how some would come to just such a conclusion. However, I assure you he existed. Let us hope he doesn't any longer."
"Until I see proof or meet him in person, I don't believe Ganon existed. I think he was a fairytale metaphor to scare kids from misbehaving."
Link blinked.
Ruto added, "I'm not saying you didn't fight someone. Our initial analysis on your sword blade showed blood of an unknown or possibly hybrid creature. You fought a creature with it, no doubt about it. But Ganon? I don't believe he was a real person, let alone that he came back to life repeatedly."
Link stared at Ruto in disbelief.
Bagu laughed softly, delight in his tone. "Yes, Ruto, but nobody thought Link the Hero existed either. Yet here he is. And this may very well prove that my beliefs are founded after all!" Bagu shifted his gaze to Link and said, "You said you wear a device that allows you to understand the meanings spoken to you?"
Link nodded.
"What number am I thinking of, young man?" Bagu grew quiet and thought of the word in his mind.
"I … um … I do not believe the ring works that way."
"Just humor me, son. What number?"
Link shrugged his shoulders. "Thirty-seven?"
"Dear God," Bagu whispered. "I just know this in my gut … you really are Link, the chosen one, Link the Great Hero of the People, Link the Champion of Zelda."
Link frowned in a somewhat bashful way. "I … so if your people consider Ganon as an ancient myth … what was the base of your war a century ago?"
"Greed," said Dr. Rauru, folding her arms. "Greed, land, politics, people having a difference of opinion. Things must have been simpler in your time. You perceived an evil, you unified against it, and you came together peacefully as a civilization. Must have been amazing. Well … either way – welcome to the Spectacle Rock Observatory and research Laboratory at the northern-most edge of Hyrule, Link."
"Do … you still live under the rule of a monarch?"
"Yes," Bagu cut in. "King of Hyrule, Gustaf the Eighth, Queen Tetra, and their daughter, Zelda Daltus Crown-Princess of Hyrule, are the monarchs of this province. But, unlike your time, we now have a parliamentary group that operates as a congressionalist format for legislative purposes. We call the group the Hyrule Diet, a bicameral legislature made up of Representatives of the Lower House and Councilors of the Upper House."
Link furrowed his brow. "Diet?"
"It may be a strange name for you, but that is what we call our elected lawmakers. It comes from the word 'Dieta' which existed in Lorule…"
"Another myth," Ruto interjected.
"I see." Link rubbed his forehead followed by a calm exhale. "Very well, what of this gentleman that you spoke of? The one that mirrors my appearance?"
"Link Josiah Kasuto," Bagu replied. "He goes by 'LJ.' He isn't here right now; he's obtaining his security clearance from the city. Gustaf the Eighth and Zelda Daltus are on their way here. People, like LJ, need to be vetted by a government investigative agency."
"What is this … vetting?"
"It's when a security clearance team sits down and determines that the person passes a background check. Only after that, the person is allowed in the presence of the Royal Family. The young man I mentioned…? He is a pseudo-historian on technology of the ancients, although he does have a legitimate degree in the history of the Middle Ages – a period that is largely misunderstood due to how little information survived the Great War we told you about."
"Ah. Does … he possess a mark upon his hand?"
Bagu rubbed his chin then shrugged. "I'm not sure. I've never met him. I own his book, but … that's all."
"I see. What am I to do until your guests arrive?"
"You'll relax, Link. I'll have Ruto give you a tour of the facility. I have some phone calls to make and some colleagues to…"
"He wants to brag to his peers," Dr. Rauru said with a smirk. "He'll also arrange to have you vetted by the Royal Family's security team, as well. For now, come with me, Link. You must be feeling rather achy at this point. I think moving around will be good for your body. Walk with me, young man."
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A/N: Hi, welcome to 2021. Back in 2013, I wrote six chapters of a fun little fanfiction, and then real life got, well, "real." Fast forward to 2021, my wife (she uses the penname 'Fara Phoenix 418' here) read through it, turns to me in the middle of the night, and basically says, "Where's the rest? This is fantastic, why did you stop?" And then she said, "Okay, well, finish it. I want to see how it ends." She gave me a cheesy smile, then, in a more serious tone, said, "No, for real though. Would you?"
So, here we are! I started on this four YEARS before Breath of the Wild came out, which was SUPPOSED TO BE a chapter where there is a "Post Apocalypse" Link. But we have that as a game, now. So. I came up with some ideas to use. But first I just wanted you to know, for those of you reading this for the first time, or reading it over for the first time in many years, that I was going to finish it by the request of my wife. YAY.
So, one of the concepts I was working on in the 2013 build, based on my notes, was to give "middle period" Link a very slight 'archaic' syntax / grammar style early in the story, and then have him LEARN modern speaking patterns from LJ, but it didn't make sense for the Prologue of this story because I want the reader to read his intent to Ganon in a way that feels like the time period – natural for it's time. Just as a matter of playing with a concept that's only ever been toyed with in comics and some games before now. Just thinking out loud, really.
FINALLY…
Link of Calatia, son of Arn and Medilia, and knight of Seline is the "Adventurer who arrived in Hyrule" from the original LoZ and LoZ-II for the NES. But according to Nintendo's official storyline branches, THAT pair of games ONLY happens if the Hero Of Time from Ocarina of Time fails.
So what would happen if the Hero of Time is successful knowing that Ganon still comes back now-and-then throughout the ages? Link of Calatia would still be born, be related to ancestors that once lived in Hyrule, and eventually return to Hyrule so his descendants would live out their lives in Hyrule … so no matter what, that dude would live, but what would be different?
This.
This story follows Link of Calatia, but because the Hero of Time was successful, at least to some extent, things would occur differently. So, that Link gets some hand-me-downs from the Link that was raised by his Uncle that takes place on the SNES and his centenarian descendant from the game on the 3DS, Link to the Past and Link Between Worlds. But, since the Hero of Time is successful in the story branch, things take place a little differently, and one of those changes is that some of Link's gear is handed down … just some … and it winds up in the hands of Link of Calatia.
But I plan to tie some of the games together, so watch for that. Look for the clues. I'm having fun adding to this. Let me know how you like the progression.
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Original 2013 Author's note:Howdy, and welcome to my latest fanfiction. I've decided to write this story on-and-off as a way to take a breather from my original story series. I'm in the middle of re-writing the first trilogy for the third time, and I need to re-write the second act into trilogy format soon. Overall, I'm eight stories deep into this monster… and it can get VERY overwhelming.
So, to keep writing (which I enjoy) but to keep from getting fried out, I wanted to dabble with something Sci-Fa (Science-Fiction / Fantasy). Zelda seemed like a good idea after being asked by people on FaceBook to write something dark and deep for the Zelda Franchise. Anyway, if you want to read the drafts of my original work, go to FanFictionNet's sister site, FictionPress dot Com. It's the same penname, "Kit-Karamak" with a hyphen. You can even use your FanFictionNet account to sign in on FictionPressCom and leave reviews and all that jazz.
Okay, so yeah… I typically write more cliffhangers to keep the excitement level higher, but… this is the prologue. No sense in having Link wake up to the world exploding. Why would scientists even concern themselves with archeological digs if the world were blowing up all around, right? Instead, I wanted to create a sense of calm and serenity. Have Link relax and feel like everything is okay. The world can go 'splodies soon enough. Just wanna introduce some themes and some characters first. As you may have noticed, I chose names and last names based on towns in Zelda2, and from other characters in the Zelda franchises. I've introduced themes of "science vs religion," and "fantasy vs technology" and "hero cycle" and "existentialism vs fate," where Bagu believes that God, or possibly that the goddesses micromanage the lives of the Hylians, because they have a plan for everything.
Conversely, Ruto wants to prove him wrong.
And, finally, I have to say that Deus Ex Machina is, sometimes, overused in literature. So instead of having the "underwhelming character with the unimportant plot device that saves the universe," bit… I decided to give Ganon nukes. From ancient humans. Yeah. Humans. Oh no, does that mean Hyrule takes place in a very, very distant future?!
Anyway, yeah, nukes. All he has to do is capture Zelda…AGAIN…to arm them. Shouldn't be too hard, right? Then he just has to figure out how the bio-interface works with the nanites passed along via her blood. And then he has to arm them. And, uh, run the other direction. Lmao.
But he's sealed in the Sacred Realm and doesn't have Zelda's Bio-imprint to activate it, just yet. But this should explain why Zelda is so important, right? I mean… the series is SUPPOSED to be "The LEGEND…Of…ZELDA" But you never hear much about her being all that important. Oh, sure, you gotta rescue her. But why is the legend about Zelda? So in this story… Zelda gets LEGIT serious importance to make the title feel like it's more than a joke. And Zelda gets to be the key to everything, as the name of the franchise implies. yAy
I've already introduced one of the main characters. The other, of course, is LJ, the male descendant of Link, who did, in fact, find love, have an illegitimate child and lay low.
HA Ganon! That'll teach you to make assumptions about Link's (or even his uncle) being a loser bachelor (since we'll meet a relative of Uncle Smith's side in a later chapter)!
ALSO! I think I'm going to have Zelda take a more proactive role in this story. In OoT, she gets an alterego (as also seen in Super Smash Brothers melee), and fights hard. So it seems to me that in this day and age of female protagonists, it would be more fun to show her kicking asses while chewing bubblegum. Don't worry, she's not going to be a Mary Sue character. If pricked, she'll bleed. And I'll give her emotions. Just because she's a rich monarch doesn't mean she can't have her feelings hurt, or have her heart yearn for something, right? I try to make my characters realistic as best I'm able. Anyways. OKAY… Chapter 2 and 3 are already finished. I'll post all three updates today because today is the day that WindWakerHD is available for Wii-U for digital download. Enjoy! AND REMEMBER, I haven't "gone out of my way to ignore canon." We're just far enough in the future that modern scholars don't know what's real and what's lore anymore. Every character has his or her own theories as to what they think they know about the history of the world. Nobody really knows for sure; I'm NOT trying to CHANGE anything… I promise. :D-KPS: You can also look me up on FB. FacebookDOTcomFWDSLASHkitkaramak Thanks!