Chapter 3:
Nightfall
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The door opens with a little push, the shadow stretching out from the moonlight peaking through the clouded sky.
"Pappa?", Malon asks, sweeping back her shoulder-length, dark red hair, "Something's spooking the horses."
She strikes a match, lighting one of the lanterns by the door, lighting another lamp at the center of the living room.
She turns to the entrance to the kitchen, as her father, his greying hair practically translucent in the artificial light, walks out, holding a lantern.
"How's Epona holding up?", he asks.
"She's doing great...she'll be fine. She's actually calm."
"Good. At least that one has a head on her shoulders."
The sunlight peaks through the blinds, tracking its way across the living room, illuminating the couch, the table, the chipped down log behind the couch...
And finally making its way across the bed, the light dancing across the two people lying on it...and stabbing Link right in the eyes.
He mutters to himself, covering his eyes with his free hand, clenching his other hand to a fist to get the blood flowing again.
He looks over, to the beautiful, golden haired woman lying next to him, her silk robe and white dress ruffled and wrinkled, her face one of complete peace, her hand laying limply on his chest, her other hand flat against his....their...pillow.
He smiles, leaning over to her, closing his eyes, gently pulling her closer as his lips edge towards hers...
When her hand presses against his face, pushing him back.
"No.", she says, opening her eyes, "No. Not now. Not yet."
"I...alright, Princess.", he responds, pulling his arm out from under her, sitting up and swinging out his legs over the edge of the bed, "Sleep well?"
"I slept fine, Link.", she responds, her voice completely neutral, "What time is it?"
"Around...I'd have to say it's near noon."
She bolts up, tucking her legs underneath her.
"Noon?"
"I'd say about."
She whispers a swear, climbing off the bed, straightening out her clothes, checking her ring on her right hand.
"Nothing happened, Your Highness.", he responds, folding his arms, "And I'm sure you can work up a good alibi."
She nods, intertwining her fingers and composing herself.
"I can. Thank you for your time, Link."
She walks to the door, pulling at it...and finding that it won't budge.
She pulls at it again, and again, her face showing a steadily growing frustration...
When he reaches over, over her shoulder, and undoes a small latch on the door.
"I lock it at night.", he says, "Never know what's out there."
She considers a retort, or a muttering...but knows that's the reaction he'd want from her. A justification for his...beliefs...about them. That they're really that close...
She yanks open the door, walking out, her face beat red as she hurries down the porch, Link skipping behind her until they reach the end of his garden.
She turns, quickly, folding her hands by her waist, smiling diplomatically.
"Thank you, again, for your time.", she says, "I hope to see you around."
"Same here, Your Highness.", he responds, "I'll be around if you need a shoulder to cry on."
He can see her hands tighten in their grip.
"Good day, Princess.", he says, bowing, "Have a safe trip home."
She sighs, turning sharply, and walks off, as he walks back to his house...
In the years since the rewriting of time, it simply faded.
The Temple of Time ended itself. A forest was created around it, and the walls simply crumbled.
Leaving, in its wake, a simple stone slab. Upon which is impaled a vine-encrusted sword.
And upon this sword, a bolt of unnatural lightning strikes....and a form of light appears at the base of the slab...
It flies across the field, through the small loops in the tomato plants, slicing right through a head of lettuce...before the arrow buries its head in the wooden fence pole, the wooden shaft shaking, slightly, before stilling itself.
Link whistles, holding the bow in one arm before removing another arrow from the quiver at his feet, standing at the edge of his garden as he fixes the arrow into place.
"Huh.", he says, "Just like riding a horse."
He pulls back, the bow's line creaking in protest as he quickly aims, and lets go.
The second arrow shoots out, following the exact same path...and splitting the first arrow in two.
"I must've been a pretty good rider, then.", he says, "Wow."
Something about it....something about seeing people from long ago makes him feel young again. It's been ten years since he even picked up his bow, or spent an hour sharpening the arrowheads.
He moved here for a reason...because it was in a few minutes walking distance from the Lon Lon Ranch. If he ever decided he wanted to court Malon...he could have done it. They didn't rewrite time that far back. They would've remembered him.
But he never took the chance. He never wanted to...
Because Malon wasn't the one he wanted.
He sighs, pulling out another arrow from his quiver, aiming it towards the split arrow.
See if he can do this twice in a row...
Nina leaps out of her oversized chair as the door opens, running to the door and wrapping her arms around her mother.
Zelda smiles, lifting her up, kissing her daughter on the cheek as she hugs her tightly.
"Where've you been, Momma?", the child asks, "You nev' said where you'd be."
"I was with an old friend, Nina.", Zelda responds, carrying her over to the plush couch by the door and sitting down, "I was talking with him about Daddy."
"What'd you talk about?"
"A lot of things.", she says, running her fingers through her daughter's hair, "And we talked about you, to."
The little princess smiles, jumping about in her mother's arms.
"Really?"
"Really.", Zelda responds, "Now, what do you want to do, today?"
Nina purses her lips, looking down as her forehead screws in concentration.
It's moments like these that she reminds Zelda most of her husband...and it brings a slight pain to her heart...although, truth be told, Nina has been taking it best of all of them...
"I wanna go see him.", Nina says, looking up, beaming, smiling toothily from ear to ear.
"Meet...him?"
"Your friend, Momma."
Zelda can feel her stomach beginning to digest at the thought...it's not that she wonders what Link's reaction to Nina would be...she knows he hates her off the bat simply because of her parentage...it's that she wonders what her reaction would be...
"Alright.", Zelda says, her voice slightly shaky, "Alright. But first we have lunch."
"But I already ate, Momma.", Nina says, slightly petulant.
"I know. But I haven't.", Zelda responds, smiling, "We'll go soon, sweetie, alright?"
"Alright."
Zelda smiles, standing up, Nina taking her hand as they walk back out the door...
The long, thin-bladed sword whips through the air as Link pivots, spinning about, swinging the sword with him and slicing through the wooden pole with one motion.
He sheathes the sword, swearing as he works his hands over the back of his hip. Nothing like a bit of practice after nearly a decade to gauge just completely out of shape you are...
He unsheathes the sword, wiping the sweat from his brow, feeling the early-afternoon sun beating down on him as he moves into the shade of his house, grabbing a disc-shaped wooden shield and strapping it to his arm.
"Oookay...", he mutters, "Let's see..."
He skips forward, thrusting forward the shield, spinning and slicing with his sword.
He skips back, his right foot kicking, bringing his shield up to block and thrusting his sword out underneath.
He steps back, spinning and thrusting out his foot, swinging his sword down as he spins, again, swinging out the shield, spinning again into another kick...and promply collapsing to the ground, dropping the sword as he falls onto his hands and knees, shaking his head and rapidly blinking his eyes.
"Ow...", he mutters, "Okay...that just makes me dizzy..."
He climbs back to his feet, sheathing the sword and unbuckling the scabbard, straightening out his light-blue tunic.
He's still trying to figure out why he's gone on an all-out fitness craze.
Makes absolutely no sense to him. He sees Zelda for the first time in over ten years, and suddenly, he feels young again?
He sighs, picking up his sword and shield, walking to his garden, and gets to work...
Malon smiles, hefting a bag of feed under her arm as she walks to the open field in front of the stables.
One of the horses, a little bit smaller than the others, with grey hair streaking some parts of her deep-reddish brown coat, neighs, trotting over.
"Hello, Epona.", she says, patting him on the nose, "How're you doing?"
The horse shakes her head up and down, trotting alongside Malon as she walks to the rest of the horses.
If anything, Epona kind of mystifies her. She's over twenty years old...but is still as healthy as a horse in it's prime. Most horses would have keeled over, by now...but not her.
Add to that the fact that she seems more intelligent...like she can perfectly understand everything humans say to her...and it gives them an oddity.
Which, in itself, isn't that bad. She's always been a good natured horse. And a fast one, two...
She turns at the sound of a slight rumbling, a few of the horses rearing up, backing away from the fences and the forest beyond.
"hrrr...."
She turns, dropping the feedbag...and sees it skittering from the forest.
Six feet tall at the slumped-over shoulder, its skin an ebon, insectoid armor...and its eyes glowing green slits.
It smiles, showing many, many rows of pearl-white teeth, razor sharp claws displayed as it flexes its hands...and eight others join it.
"Who...who are you?", she demands, backing away, "What do you want?"
One of them makes a clicking sound to another, the others emitting a slow, dry gurgle.
"....food...pain...screams...", it growls.
It licks its chitinous lips, its eyes flashing brightly.
"...first...yours..."
And with that, it leaps at her...
Chapter 4:
Ascendant
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Link looks up at the sound of the scream, dropping the lettuce head to the ground.
That voice...that was Malon's voice...
He grabs his shield, strapping it to his arm, and his sword, turning to run to the sound...when he stops, turns, and heads back to his garden...
Malon swings the feedbag right into the monster's face, the insectoid beast choking on the oats, spitting them out as she whistles, sharply, the horses rearing up and running to the stables.
She hears some of them neighing in horror as the demons pursue them, taking down some of them, the rest escaping to the safety of the stable, the doors locking the moment they enter...except Epona, who the beasts are circling.
She turns, running to the house, yelling for Epona to follow her...when she turns, seeing the previously disabled monster bearing down on her, running on all fours, and leaping at her...
And promptly collapsing to the ground, an arrowhead sticking out of its chest.
He pulls another arrow from his quiver, pulling it back and letting it fly, one of the monsters screaming as the shaft penetrates its leg.
Fourteen arrows.
Link grimaces at the thought of his quickly diminishing supply, running to the attack.
"Better chance if I'm closer...", he mutters.
Which he soon learns to regret....because he now has the monsters' undivided attention, ceasing their circling of Epona and the downed horses...and running for him.
He pulls out another arrow, as one of them goes into a surprisingly swift running leap, crossing the distance between them in seconds...
And receiving an arrow through its throat as a result, sputting as it rolls on the ground, and keels over, dead.
"Thirteen.", he says.
Another monster screams, stopping as an arrow goes through its shoulder, its scream cut short as a second arrow goes through its head, green-yellow blood coursing out as it collapses to the floor.
Another shaft takes out the lame monster's other leg, a third shaft through its chest and causing it to collapse, motionless, to the ground.
"Nine.", Link counts, pulling another arrow from his quiver, "And...six left...alright."
He leaps to his side, rolling as a monster leaps over him, the arrow flying and going through its chin, coming out the other side of its head.
He quickly climbs to his feet, pulling two arrows, pulling them back at the same time, and letting them fly, both arrows slicing through the sides of two monster's throats and making them scream, Link sending a second arrow through both their heads.
"Three.", he says, "And I've got four arrows left..."
He jumps back, firing off another arrow, right into the eye of a monster...and the thing keeps on coming, Link pulling another arrow and splitting the first, going deeper into the monster's head and stopping it in its tracks.
"Damn things won't stay down...", he mutters.
He sidesteps another one of them, pulling back an arrow and sending it through the side of the monster's head, out the other side.
He looks at it, for a moment, raising an eyebrow.
"Saw a comedian do that, once.", he says, "Nice gag."
He turns at the sound of the growl, seeing the last monster broken from the pack...and sprinting right towards Malon, who's already by Epona's side.
Link pulls out his last arrow, letting it fly with a quick aim...and the arrow barely misses, impaling itself on a fence pole.
"Son of a....", he says, gritting his teeth, "Malon! Behind you!"
She turns at the sound of her name....and freezes, seeing the beast bearing down on her.
He grinds his teeth, grabbing at his empty quiver, guessing he doesn't have time to run the distance...and looks at his round, disc-shaped shield.
"You're gonna hate me in the morning for this...", he mutters, and undoes the clasp.
He grabs it in one hand, yelling as he heaves it forward.
It flies, spinning, crossing the distance in just over a second...
And slams into the side of Malon's head, the woman not even emitting a sound, before collapsing, unconscious, on her side...and right out of the leaping demon's path.
"Epona!", Link screams, "KICK!"
The horse neighs in acknowledgement, rearing back...and slamming a hoof into the monster's head, shattering it, the headless husk collapsing, dead, to the ground.
Link looks at the last corpse, and smiles, relieved.
"Good horsey."
The metal-trimmed boots stomp along the carpetted hall, the armored, young, dark haired man stopping in front of the particular double door, standing stock still.
He waits for a few moments, before it opens, revealing a quickly surprised Princess Zelda Hyrule.
"Garrison.", she says, "Is there a problem?"
The leader of the Knights of Hyrule goes down to one knee, bowing his head.
"We've had reports of a monster attack," he says, "The monsters were reported as none so far classified, Your Emminence."
"'None so far classified'?"
"Indeed. The King is unavailable, so I was directed to report this to you."
"Where was the attack?", she asks, "And when?"
"Our scouts reported quickly.", he responds, "But they did not have the strength to engage these enemies. The Lon Lon Ranch. We do not expect survivors."
Zelda keeps her face completely straight at the mention of the name. The Lon Lon Ranch....Link was connected to that place. She remembers that if she ever considered, in her wildest dreams, allowing him to court her, the daughter would have been her main rival...
"I'll go there.", she says.
"Your Emminence?"
"I'm taking my daughter to meet someone who lives in the area. Send some men to investigate if you want, but I'll be there first.", she responds, "And I can take care of myself, Garrison."
"As...you wish, Your Emminence."
He rises to his feet, backing away slightly, and turns and walks away.
Epona nudges Malon, making her groan, her hand instinctively reaching for the pronounced bump on the side of her head.
Link watches her, walking to the first downed monster, the arrow still sticking out of its back.
"Well," he says, "Waste not, want not."
He grips the shaft, gritting his teeth as he pulls...and yanks it clean out, the green-yellow blood sliding off like water.
He tosses the arrow into his quiver, climbing to his feet as he walks over to Malon, to retrieve his shield...
When he hears a rumbling behind him.
He turns, unsheathing his sword and swinging, and sending the blade digging into the neck of the risen monster, the chest wound healed completely.
The monster snarls, its eyes flashing before it slams its head into Link's stomach, sending him off his feet, onto his back on the ground.
The monster is on top of him, its claws digging into his right arm, talons digging into his legs, making him scream as he clamps the beast's mouth shut, his other hand grabbing the hilt of his sword.
He brings his knee up into the monster's stomach, scraping his knee and having no effect, the claws on the monster's other hand extending fully...and each claw is rouchly the size of one of Link's own fingers.
He pulls the blade from the monster's neck, swinging it horizontally to deflect the monster's attack.
He brings his other foot up, into the monster's crotch, the beast growling, freezing as the wind is knocked out of it.
"Well," Link growls, "We know you're male."
He brings both feet up, slamming them into the monster's stomach, pushing it off him as he climbs to his feet.
The monster growls, baring its impressive teeth, circling around Link as Link's wounded arm hangs limply by his side, his other hand holding the sword.
"I...", he growls, "Have had...enough...of you!"
He brings his foot up, into the monster's jaw, making it grunt and scream as it bites off its own tongue.
Link steps forward, pivoting, spinning and swinging the sword down.
The blade cleaves the demon's head cleanly from its shoulders, the beast collapsing, dead, to the ground.
Link flips the sword in his hand, thrusting it back into his scabbard...and winces, biting his lip, as the pain burns through his arm, and through his legs.
Poison...the thing's claws are poisoned...
He whistles with his good hand, Epona neighing, trotting over to him, bending down as Link climbs onto her, carrying the head of the last monster.
"Good girl.", he says, "Home, Epona. Follow my lead."
Epona neighs in agreement, and takes off in the direction Link orders...
The pain steadily grows worse in the minute it takes Epona to run to Link's house, Link slowly climbing off, steadily regaining his footing as he pats the horse on the nose.
"Get back home, girl.", he says, "Malon's going to worry."
The horse nods, stroking his hand with her nose, before turning and trotting away.
Link sighs, gritting his teeth at another rush of pain, shakily, hurryingly walking through his garden, climbing up the porch and bracing himself against the doorway as he drops the decapitated head.
Sweat beads on his forehead, the entire right arm of his tunic stained with red-and-green, his eyes bloodshot as he surveys the interior of his house.
He limps across the livingroom, grabbing the tunic and throwing it off, unbuckling the fasteners of his slacks and throwing them aside, bracing with both hands against a cabinet filled with oddly-colored bottles.
His breath is rapid, his heart sounding like its ready to burst out of his chest as he moves his fingers along a row of bottles, finally finding one filled with an indescent green liquid.
He tears off the cork, tossing it away as he lifts the bottle and puts it to his lips, drinking its contents as the blook trickles down his right arm, and down to his knees.
The blood stops, retreating to the exit wounds, the wounds closing up as Link finishes the potion, the wounds closing into pronounced scars as he sets down the empty bottle.
He clenches his eyes shut, grinding his teeth as a new pain shoots through his body, his fingers leaving defined marks in the wood as he supresses the scream.
He stumbles back, over to the couch, making a note in his quickly clouding mind about burning the clothes, bracing against the couch as a final, dull pain works its way through him.
He collapses, groaning, over the back and onto the cushions of the couch, unconscious before he even hits the small pillow by the armrest.
Malon sits up, groaning loudly, shakily climbing to her feet as she feels the pronounced, painful bump on the side of her head.
She turns at the sound of the slamming door, seeing her father walk out, as she braces one hand against the fence, her fingers brushing against the embedded arrow.
"Malon!", Talon says, quickly running to her, "What happened?!"
"Some...things...attacked the ranch.", she responds, rubbing her temples, "I think three of the horses are gone...and I can't find Epona."
That comment is answered by a neigh, the two turning...and seeing the prize horse trotting from the distance, stopping right in front of them.
Malon smiles, shakily, patting the horse on the nose...before nearly collapsing again.
"Malon...", Talon says, "Are you hurt?"
"Ye...yeah...", she responds, "Someone saved us...and brained me at the same time, to get me out of the way...ow..."
He looks down, seeing the circular, wooden shield sitting by them...and the corpses of nine very unfamiliar-looking creatures lying around the field.
Epona neighs, trotting back to the other horses...who are gathering around her. Listening to her.
"Well, let's get that looked at.", Talon says, placing his hand on Malon's shoulder, "And let's see just who tried to take our horse..."
It doesn't take her long to realize something isn't right.
Zelda sees the tracts of red on the ground in front of the house. Sees the door jarred slightly open. Sees an arrow embedded on one of the fence poles.
"Nina," she says, "Could you wait in the garden?"
"Why, Momma?"
"Because I want to talk with my friend, first."
Nina nods, beaming, walking off into what must be Link's potato crop...
Zelda sighs, straightening out her light pink-and-white dress, fixing her collar.
She walks down the path, climbing up the stairs, walking through the door and closing it behind her...
And sees a disembodied head of an unfamiliar beast on the floor in front of her.
She gasps, instinctively kicking it away, the head rolling and resting under a wooden table by the couch...which is when she sees an even more disturbing sight.
Link, passed out on his couch, in only his shorts.
She strides over, fuming...and sees fresh, bright-red scars on his right arm and his legs. Encrusted blood on his arm.
He's obviously been through a very, very bloody fight...and she's not sure if he won it, either...
She slowly, carefully touches his worn, still warm hand, feeling the intentations where he gripped his bow-string, or the impressions left by the hilt of his sword.
She sighs, sitting on his table, folding her hands in her lap.
She will admit this much...he is attractive. If anything, his life of farming has made him into an excellent physical specimen, almost perfectly filling out the stereotype of tall, dark, and handsom-
She shakes her head, apalled at the thought.
If she continues having fancies like that, she'll start to believe he was right...and that would be unthinkable!
She reaches over, touching one of the pronounced scars...
And his eyes snap open.
She jumps, standing up, regaining her composure in less than a second.
"Good," she says, "You're up. Nina wants to see you."
He says nothing, watching her, his eyes blinking, irregularly, his mouth twitching slightly.
"Look," she says, "You don't want to meet her, I don't want her to meet you. I think you can understand why I think you would be a bad influence on her."
He slowly sits up, staring at her as she begins to pace, the small heels under her dress clicking slightly on the wood floor.
"Link, you hate her father, you probably hate me.", she continues, "I can't have that sort of person...influencing...my daughter. She looks up to who you used to be. Not who you are...I don't want to shatter that illusion."
His chest begins shaking, lowering his head, a slight smile, creeping onto his face.
"Link?", she asks, her face conveying her displeasure, her hands on her hips, "Link, are you even listening? Say something!"
His smile becomes wider, his right hand gripping the armrest on the couch.
He throws his head back...and laughs. A wild, insane laugh, tears flowing from his eyes as his bare feet kick at the base of the couch.
Her cheeks are burning as she walks over, grabbing his head and turning him to face her.
"What are you doing?!", she demands, "Link, what is the matter with-"
Her tirade is cut short as his hands grab hers, pulling them towards him as he stands.
One hands grabs her waist, his other grabbing the back of her head, as he pulls her to him...and kisses her.
And oddly enough, she finds herself almost returning the kiss....