Warnings: Contains some violence, future suicide and cussing, a bit of Link torture (^_^) and switching point of views (POVs). Angst. I'll accept constructive criticism, but any offensive flames will be deleted. And now, enjoy. Hope ya'll like it.
Disclaimer: Zelda and any related characters do not belong to me - they are owned by some very lucky people who are probably swimming in gold right now, while the only thing I do own are the original characters and the story plot.
Chapter 3 ~Zelda's POV~
Three weeks had gone, and we still couldn't find the hidden dungeon. We managed to find and free Lea and Salia, but it seemed as if Link had simply disappeared. Not knowing what else to do, we had returned to the castle, so that the kids would be safe, and I could think up a brilliant plan to rescue my husband.
Nothing.
Even now, I was blank. Usually, I depended on Link to lead us, to rescue me. But, with roles swapped over, I felt completely and utterly useless. I didn't deserve him...
I was lying in bed at night, as these thoughts raced through my mind within seconds. 'What if he's dead?' I kept thinking, 'What if he's being tortured or killed right this instance?' What if... What if... What if... the most interesting, yet worrying question there is.
I shook my head in frustration, trying to stop thinking that way. I had to be positive, and most of all, I had to do something. Extreme situations called for extreme measures. Link had saved me countless times before, and now I was to return the favour.
Seeing as there was no time like the present, I got out of bed, and threw on my Shiek outfit which I still kept in my closet. My usual dress would be too inconvenient. I went to the stables to saddle up my horse, and made sure I was armed and ready.
Riding out of the castle gates, I looked back at Lea's window. The lights were out, but I knew she was still awake. Silently, I promised to come back, and carried on on my way to Gannon castle.
~Link's POV~
They ran.
Zelda clutching to Lea's hand, they ran as quickly as they could, me just a few metres behind them. I stretched out my hand and cried for them to stop, but instead of my pale skinned human hand, a slimy monstrous paw reached out. And instead of my soft, low voice, an animal's roar sounded.
I was a monster! And Zelda and Lea were my... my prey.
That last word triggered something in me. 'Prey. That means I'm the predator. And I need my prey to survive. I mustn't let my prey escape!' I had a sudden urge to rip that skin apart, and sink my teeth into tender flesh, drinking the fresh, warm blood...
Instincts took over, and my consciousness was pushed aside. It was as if I had become a mere observer of a very bad movie...
I kept running after them, noting the expressions of horror on their faces.
'Good,' I thought, 'Their scared. That makes them an easier target.'
I lunged forwards, missing the little one by mere millimetres. Zelda tripped and fell to her knees. This was my chance. "Run Lea," she was screaming, but the girl wouldn't leave. I took this opportunity and lunged at the girl again. This time my aim was true.
I held her tight with one arm, and placed my right paw on top of her head. I drew out my claws, and pushed them through her skull. Her scream was heart wrenching, but it didn't bother me. She would stop - they always did.
Zelda stared at us wide eyed, watching me drop the limp corpse on the floor. She pulled it towards her, holding it protectively, as if that could bring her back. A part of me was screaming at what I had just done, but a very small part.
I pulled the body away from the woman's grasp, and slashed at her with my outdrawn claws. Surprisingly, she did not let out any sound of pain, but simply flinched.
"What's the point?" she asked, her glassy eyes meeting mine. As if to answer, I struck out one more time, breaking her neck in the process. The screaming part of me had now become louder. Dropping to me knees, I realized that I was myself once more. I was shaking terribly, and my breathing had become short and heavy.
As I felt my sanity slipping away from my grasp, I started crying uncontrollably, and whispered random and strange words to myself, "Hi... death... answer! Zelda... hate-love... no...haha! Birth... birthday... why..."
"Don't blame yourself," a soft voice behind me said. I turned around and was face to face with an old woman. She had soft, golden brown hair, with only a hint of silver revealing her true age, and glittering turquoise eyes. She was beautiful, even for her age.
"Mo... mother?" I could barely speak. I had never seen her before in my life, yet I was certain that this was the woman who had given birth to me.
"Yes, son," she smiled, "You have grown up to be quite a man - a hero, a king... a father. I just wish I could have been there to see it all." She leaned forward and gave me a soft hug, "But I'm here now, son."
"Mother," fresh tears spilled from my eyes, down my tired face. I wanted to ask so many questions, and say so many things, that the only thing I did manage to say was, "Why did you leave me?"
The woman's expression saddened, "I didn't mean to... Link, I died. I died giving birth to you." Suddenly her voice was angry, "I died for you! You, the son I never wanted! An accident, that's what you were!" Her face melted into that of an old, blue eyed man, with an expression that revealed pure hatred.
"You should have died instead of her! You were bad luck. I had to get rid of you. I was surprised that the Deku tree took something as rotten as you in." The man's face had gone red now, and the love and kindness evident in my mother's face had completely vanished.
"Fa-father," I stuttered, not knowing what to say to what he had just revealed to me.
"Don't call me that! You were a failure from the moment you were born, and a murderer! You hear me? Murderer!"
"No!" I cried out, and pushed past the old man who called himself my father, and started running, but the voice kept following me.
"You can't run forever - you know it's true!" It started laughing. Slowly, the voice of the old man moulded into that of the evil monster, Gannondorf.
I stopped, and turned around to face him. The green skinned man grinned and stalked towards me. Before I could recollect my thoughts, he pulled out a dagger, and stabbed my side. I screamed, and I fell forward into my arch enemy's arms. Gannondorf's lips moved towards my left ear, and his creepy, low voice mumbled, "My gift to you."
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