Altered States

Altered States

A Legend Of Zelda Fanfiction

By OJR

Part 6

Jamie sat, deep in troubled thought. He was up to his eyeballs in it now, and he didn't even know if he could survive it. He was no hero, he was just a normal guy. He didn't go around saving kingdoms or rescuing princesses. However, the events of the past days had put paid to that. He looked pensive as he remembered the events, playing them over and over in his mind.

The sun shone brightly that day, only recently, things weren't going as peachy as usual. Fighting off a pair of lizard men was not fun. Link seemed to brush it off, pretty much, and Zelda was only slightly perturbed. He rebuked himself for being so scared of the reality. These guys were a hero and a princess from another world, in which they have very powerful enemies. It was like someone had given his head a reality enema. Like saying "Sorry, kid, but everything you know is wrong." Kind of gets you down. He looked around the field, lit by the midday sun. There was no one around, save himself, Link and Zelda. They'd been spending a lot of time in the woods. Navi (or Nancy, after a lot of explaining about sudden family visits.) giggled and roamed round the trees, conversing with animals and humming to trees. This was, of course, perfectly normal and reasonable behaviour nowadays.

Link stroked her hair absently, still enjoying his little vacation. He'd not worried too much about the attack. It was a feeble forewarning, seeing the amount of power it took to send them. He was still a little uneasy about the task that lay three days away, but with Zelda at his side, he felt invincible. He had to admit, Jamie had potential too, but would have to be left out of the fight as he had no experience. He laughed at himself, the scared 10 year old who took on the worst Ganondorf had and slammed it straight back at him. They would dispatch this darkness and return home. He had a very important question to ask a very important someone when they did.

Zelda regarded the heavens, making pictures from clouds. As a cucko riding a horse floated past she sighed as Link tousled her hair. She looked up at him and smiled. He leaned down and kissed her softly, before returning to recline against the tree. She snuggled further into his chest. She always felt so safe when he was around. She glanced sideways at a thoughtful looking Jamie who also stared at the sky, seemingly deep in thought. She smiled again, having to work very hard to stop herself giggling at the thoughts that kept straying into his mind. She kept visualising the sensations as a little devil, dreaming of her in several scandalous ways, and a little angel with a big mallet, hitting the devil and thinking of how very, very bad it would be to even mention such things. She had to chuckle, he really needed a girlfriend. She also started to sense fear, apprehension, doubt, obviously he was troubled. She sensed no such things from Link. He was relaxed as ever, knowing that he'd be able to meet the challenge, as long as he had something to fight for. She felt a little guilty, probing their minds, but she always felt good in them, and they were so easy to read!

She shot up straight, clutching her head. Gasping in pain, she keeled over and knelt with her head held low. The boys jumped, Link hugging her from behind and Jamie looking at her from the front. She slumped, seemingly unconscious, into Links arms, her mouth moving incoherently. She bucked then her head lolled up into a straight position. She opened her eyes. The once aquamarine orbs of life were now totally black. Her mouth moved again and her voice, mingled with a deathly echo, spoke.

"Champion, sorceress, interloper…your destiny is set…you shall all die. With your deaths I will rule your worlds…I will appear to you in three days…enjoy them…for they will be your last…" She slumped again. Link cradled her with a paternal care, whispering for her to wake up. And wake she did. She sat up slowly and was overcome by tears. Her usually stalwart form seemed frail as her body was racked with sobs. She felt so used, so violated. The demon had raped her, raped her mind. Nausea built and only Links comforting arms served as a foothold of happiness. After several minutes of weeping she spoke again.

"He…it…was in me…in my mind… It just used me... I saw us die… You…" She pointed a shaky finger at Jamie. "Then you…" She turned her tear stained face up to Link. His worried expression turned to a warm, comforting smile. He kissed her softly, to assure her of his presence. He would protect her.

"Hold me…" She whispered weakly.

Yes, that had been a bad start. But the feelings of futility the situation bore didn't end there. He'd gotten so hopelessly entangled in it that he'd have to see it through, even if it meant his death. He was prepared, but it didn't mean he had to like it. He thought back again.

Jamie felt honoured but, in the same stroke, absolutely terrified. He knew this had to be done for him to stand any chance of helping them defeat the demon. Zelda set about her tasks with a will, marking the sacred Triforce on the grassy ground and arranging the six Medallions in a circle. Jamie clutched the object in his hands. It was his prized possession, an eighteenth birthday present from his dad, a sword. The blade was 96 centimetre long and 3 centimetres wide. He'd made the grip and scabbard from a single piece of ash, giving the sheathed weapon the look of a single piece of wood. The blade itself had been made from a titanium/steel alloy and the cutting edge was coated in tungsten. It was nearly unbreakable and razor sharp. He'd never wielded it. Yet here he was, sitting in a circle of glowing Medallions clutching it and breathing heavily. Zelda started the incantations, calling forth the Sages to bestow the power of the Hero of Time upon the boy. Link stood at her side, awaiting his cue to walk round the circle and touch the Medallions and bestow his power upon Jamie. The effect would be temporary, as it would only work when the true Hero of Time was present. At the end of the ceremony, Jamie felt no different. He stood up and looked at Zelda quizzically.

"I don't feel different."

"You won't, until you drink this." She handed him a small green vial. He drank the contents, as instructed, and felt like he'd swallowed liquid light. He felt the power course through his veins and touch his soul.

"Augh! What just happened to me?"

"That was magic potion, you now have the power to perform great feats. Your strength and speed are greater, as are your reflexes, and you can perform some magic spells." She smiled.

"How?"

"I will train you. In three days you will be ready." Link looked at him gravely, hoping to mould him into a righteous warrior.

Yes, it had been a strange day. And now, looking back, he wished they'd not done it. He wished that he'd been left alone. He'd wanted so badly to be a hero, and now his time had come he doubted himself. How was it his place to save the world?

Authors note: A good chapter all round I thought, tell me what you think though J R+R please!