The Missing Link

V1.3

By: The Kirby Kid ( thekirbykid@hotmail.com )

Disclaimer:

12 days and counting until Spider-Man comes out in theaters!!! What to do till then? How about learning about Copyright rules? For example, The Legend of Zelda™ is copyrighted by Nintendo.

Note from the author:

No real news. Just remember, these aren't characters from the games. They are their descendents ( or ascendents …hee hee. ) that just happen to have the same name. Since this is a sequel to my last fic, The Gerudo Keepsake, you might find characters from this fic in the other fic. If you didn't read it…I'd recommend reading it to help you out with this fic. (Shameless plug #2).

As always, please review…it'll only take a moment, and it'll last a lifetime. (Lame…I know ). Above all, enjoy the read…. or else ;)

Song of the day: I Against I: Mos Def & Massive Attack.

Last Chapter:

Don't tell the young Link that milk is good for you! After a morning of training and a chance meeting with the young princess, the youth was goaded into picking up and delivering an entire order of Lon Lon Milk…by himself. But it wasn't so bad. Despite the intense pain in his muscles and organs… he got to meet Ranchmaster Malon and her daughter Talon; and it scored him a training session with the mighty Invincible himself.

Things can't get much better than this…right?

…but they can get worse.

************

Maids doing their morning rounds scattered from Impa's way as she stormed through the cavernous hallways of Hyrule Castle. She was a big woman who seemed perpetually angry. She wore a dark ample robe ordained with the ancient marks of the Shiekah, and her long white hair was done up in a simple thick braid. She had an angry scowl on her plump face.

She grabbed the nearest girl with a large hand and pulled her close. "Have you seen the Queen?"

The girl gulped. She didn't need this kind of grief. "Really Mistress, I couldn't really do anything to stop her…"

"Ashes girl, I'm not asking if you stopped her, I'm asking you where she is!"

The girl gulped again. She hoped this wouldn't put a damper on her entire day. "I think I saw her heading towards the Study, Mistress." . Impa released the girl and bounded into that direction. When she reached the doors to the ancient Study, she easily brushed by the guards in the entrance and into the room.

Inside, sat the Queen of Hyrule, studying a pile of documents at a large table in the great Study. She sat with a gloved hand pressed against her forehead, golden blonde curls swinging slightly around her flawless face. She wore a purple blouse and a long white dress separated by a wide golden belt. She had a woolen red sweater draped over her shoulders, and her skin was paler than usual. There were small bags under her eyes.

Impa paused for a moment, and then rushed towards the other woman angrily. "So… you think that because you're a big girl now you can do this? When I say 'stay in bed', I mean 'stay in bed!'". She strode right up to the Queen, who didn't seem to notice. Impa then slammed her hands on the square table, causing a sound so loud shook the books on the shelves and startled the Knights outside. Still, Zelda didn't flinch.

She turned another page in her documents and continued to read. "I think you may be the one who needs some scolding, Impa.", she said quietly.

"Don't think you're not so big that I can't still put you over my knee, girl."

Zelda smiled innocently. "That's fine with the little ones…but try that with me and you'll find yourself stapled to a wall.". She finally turned and looked the other woman in the eyes. "What's your problem, anyway?"

"You're ill. You shouldn't be working. That's my problem!", Impa huffed, peeved.

"A little bug. It's passed now."

"Really? Girl you're so pale you could frighten small children! Have you looked at yourself? Look at your eyes."

"I'm fine.", Zelda insisted.

Impa put her hands on the table and leaned in close to the Queen. "And if Zelly did this? If she or Tibalt tried to be up and about in your condition, what would you do?"

Zelda shook her head. "That's different. They're children, they don't need to work."

"Neither do you!", Impa implored. "Listen, Rile is smart, he's strong, the people love him and he's done a good job of complete Rule while you were bedridden. Why don't you take a few more days and get yourself some rest?"

Zelda sighed and put a hand on the documents she was going over. "You're not being completely unreasonable…but…"

"But what?"

"It's my Kingdom, Impa! Father left it to me. Now he's gone…and…", Zelda paused and squeezed her eyes shut. It was something she always did when she thought about her late father. "I can't stop taking care of it because of a stupid illness."

Impa finally put on a small smile. She held the Queen at the shoulder an patted her back. "You have to take a load off sometimes. That was your father's mistake. See this illness as a blessing…unless you die from it of course."

Zelda let out a small laugh, and held Impa's hand. "You're right, of course. I'm sorry I was so rude to you before.". She paused. "However, Rile is going on that field trip with Zelly and the rest of the Knights this afternoon, are they not?"

"I'll take care of it today. That is part of my job you know." , Impa said smiling. She helped the Queen up to her feet and together, the left the Study. "Now let's get some breakfast. I think for you…custard."

Zelda made a face and held her stomach. "Impa, I'm not well you know."

"Oh, I know."

The Queen sighed sadly. "I'm being punished for that 'stapled' remark, aren't I?"

************

.

Link let out a small yelp as he was knocked to the ground by the force of Invincible's attack.

Grinning slightly, the knight headed over to the fallen boy and offered a hand. "Sorry, I guess I didn't hold back enough."

"No, you did, sir.", Link said quickly, pushing himself off the ground at the same time. "I-uh, lost my balance."

"Yeah, you seem to do that a lot. Remember, since your left-handed, you have to put your weight on your left leg.". Invincible put his weapon, an arm-length long single edged blade, to the ground and shifted his right foot forward as demonstration. "Practice your stance every time of the day, even when you're walking. It's the easiest thing to learn, and one of the most useful lessons. Your legs are just as important as your arms when it comes to sword-play. Remember this."

Link nodded enthusiastically and faced his weapon forward. It was a custom made weapon, ordered by Invincible and made by an unknown master blacksmith. The strange blade was a foot in length, but was divided in two. The edged side was the longer side, and it curved inward. The other side was shorter and curved just slightly into the center. Because of this division, the blade was both single and double-edged at the same time.

The hilt was wide and round, with a red color on the edged, while the inner circle was embroidered with tiny Triforce symbols. The handle was a little longer than most other short-swords, and had a red leather grip. Link couldn't believe his fortune. At first, he thought the blade was so beautiful he felt guilty using it to fight. That sentiment ran out quickly after a few quick sessions with the Invincible. He soon realized that no matter how pretty it was, it was nothing more than a weapon. An object of violence. It demanded respect…but not praise.

Still…it was a damn fine sword.

Ahem…all that being said, he struck out with the sword ( dubbed the Razorblade by others ) and jutted out his left foot. Invincible watched the boy get ready, and then struck out with a horizontal attack. Link braced himself and took the attack cleanly on the side of his blade. He was pushed back a little, but regained his balance quickly.

Invincible straightened and smiled at the youth. "That's good. You're strong for your age."

"My Uncle says I get it from my father."

"Really?"

Link nodded. "Yes. He was a mercenary hired for the Service of the Haiken Dukedom in the west, like my Uncle. My mom was a scholar. I guess my Uncle told you already about how they were both killed in an invasion by a rival Dukedom."

Invincible adjusted the long toque on his head, a strange kind that covered up the top half of his face, even though he could still see perfectly. "Yes, he did. It was a terrible time in that area."

Solemnly nodding, the boy tapped the Razorblade against the small buckler strapped to his right arm. "What about you, sir? How are your parents doing?"

"Much like yours.", Invincible said grimly. "Sorry…no, I was raised by a…different type of family. Lots of…um….'brothers'."

"Wow."

"Yeah. Okay then, let's continue.". With that, the Invincible drew his thin blade across the ground and slid his right foot forward. Link set into the stance that he adopted, with his left foot out forward, and his sword up at his chest, parallel to the ground.

Invincible smiled and launched into his attack. He struck again and again . Link parried, but was surprised at the ferocity of Invincible's attack. Up until now they had been taking it slow and easy. Suddenly he was hit again, and Link slid back a few inches.

"Balance is everything!", Invincible shouted, as he whipped his sword for the knock out blow. Without thinking, Link tinged the edge of his blade with Invincible's, and immediately did a 360 degree turn to his left. Invincible was caught off balance with his deflected lunge, and he watched as the boy's swipe came veering towards his nose.

In the final seconds of the attack, Invincible swiped his blade horizontally upwards and knocked Link's blade back with a crash. The short-sword flew out of the boys hand and Link landed hard on his backside.

Grunting painfully, the neophyte fighter got up to his knees. "I…I'm sorry", he started.

"Where did you learn that?"

"I'm really sorry, sir."

Invincible shook his head and handed Link his sword. "Don't be sorry, that was pretty amazing. I'm just wondering where you learned how to do that. We've been practicing for only a few days…and your Uncle said before this, you've never held a sword."

Link nodded quickly. "It…it just came up to me.", he mumbled. "Maybe I saw my Uncle do it once…or my father when they sparred. I…I'm not sure."

"Very interesting….", Invincible murmured. "You tired?"

"No sir."

At that moment, a small fist of knights walked into the courtyard. They included Link's uncle Adrel and Rocco's father Rocky, as well as the father of Rocco's girlfriend, Natus.

In the center of the procession, was a man of about thirty years of age. He was six feet tall, and had a thin-medium build. He was dressed in a white embroidered tunic and red sash across his waist. Underneath his sleeves his arms were wrapped in black leather, and his leather leggings were embroidered down the side with the symbol of the Triforce. He wore a short white cape across his shoulders. His hair was dark and straight, cut short around his forehead. Walking beside him was the young Princess, with her little Keaton perched on her shoulder.

The man looked towards the duelists and smiled. "Another Knight in our service in training, Invincible?"

Invincible nodded towards the man quickly. "If it pleases you, my Liege.". He glanced at the girl and nodded again. "Princess."

"Good morning, Uncle.", she answered, bowing slightly. She then fixed her blue-green eyes on Link. "Hello again, you."

Link blinked. "Uh..hi" He then remembered himself and bowed deeply. "Good morning Princess."

"So you're still headed to the Zora kingdom, my Liege?", Invincible asked briskly.

The King rubbed the back of his head sheepishly. "Yes…well it is that time of the year. Unfortunately, Zelda is too ill to travel. But then we'll make it a quick trip. We'll return before supper.". He then placed a hand on the girls shoulder. "We should still be able to have fun without your mother or you little brother, right Zelly?"

"Father….", the girl said, annoyed.

"Right then…"

Invincible raised a hand. "Have fun then, keep safe.". The King bowed towards the legendary knight and nodded towards the boy. Before Link could respond, the procession was off on their way again. Link did manage to catch a quick wink and a nod from his Uncle as he continued off into the stables.

Link shook his head quickly. "Wow… you know, the King is even handsomer close up than he is on the dais."

"Yeah, he's a real pretty-boy all right."

Link glanced at Invincible…missing the remark. "Hey, are you really the Princess's Uncle?"

The knight whipped his blade about in the air a few times before resting the tip on the ground. "No. I'm a close friend of the family, so the children have adopted calling me 'Uncle'. It annoys me as much as Zelly annoys her.". He took in a deep breath and leveled a gaze at the boy. "I guess that was our break. Right then, ready to go another round?"

Link grinned enthusiastically. Bringing the Razorblade up to his chest, he stepped out with his left foot and began the training anew.

************

The day went by without incident in the Courtyard. The Queen sat alone in the Hall for her a quick repast, with only a few maidens and knights sharing the room. She wasn't exactly worried per-se, but the sun was nearly down and they're was still no word from them. Zelda lamented as she blew on the surface of her broth to cool it down. Rile had promised her they'd be back before supper.

The doors to the Hall opened, and Impa walked in with authority. She stood at the seat next to the Queen and waited.

"You put Tibalt to bed already?", the large woman asked.

Zelda nodded. "Well…did you hear anything yet?"

Impa shook her head, then shrugged. "They're just running late. Stop worrying yourself.". She examined Zelda's face closely and smiled. "You're looking much better."

Zelda shrugged. She was feeling better too…at least physically. "Impa, what of that Goron boy that disappeared recently? Have they found him yet?"

The large woman blinked. "I haven't heard any news on that. I really don't think that has anything to do with this situation….not that there is a situation."

"I'm just getting this bad feeling, Impa."

Impa patted the Queen's hand gently. "You worry too much."

Zelda frowned. She wasn't so sure…

************

Link sat atop the roof of his favorite hang-out, the town Library. There he studied the glint of twilight on his razorblade. The sword really was pretty….but he was unsure of whether or not he'd ever really master it. Throughout the rest of the training session with Invincible, he had been pretty clumsy and generally pathetic with the sword. Except of course for that one moment of brilliance, where he nearly bested the Invincible.

Chuckling to himself, he re realized 'bested' wasn't the operative word. It was a fluke there's no way he could have come close to beating Invincible in anything. Link looked up into the purple sky and saw that the sun was completely gone now. Where was his Uncle, he thought to himself.

Link sighed and leapt off the roof of the small library. He landed on the wide concrete fence that surrounded the building, and then skipped to the ground. The boy decided it was time he headed home, and was about to enter the Courtyard, when he noticed the scene brewing near the Town entrance.

A small crowed had gathered around the weeping figure of a man near the drawbridge of the Town. Link skipped closer in for a better look, and realized he had seen this man before.

Then Link remembered. It was Sir Natus. The man was trembling violently and weeping loudly. Link's eyes widened. Wasn't he supposed to be in the King's party? Where was his Uncle?

"An attack….", the man moaned between sobs. "… lights everywhere….these…monsters… the King…..". Link spied a horse tethered to a fence outside a bar and inched towards it while onlookers tended to the fallen Knight.

"Somebody get Invincible!", a man shouted, and others ran towards the Courtyard. Then he began to look around frantically. "And where the hell is my horse!?"

************

Link rode the gelding at a brisk pace, keeping careful not to fall off, and cursing himself all the while. This had to be the stupidest thing he had ever done. He just stole a man's horse…and for what? He wasn't even sure exactly where his Uncle was. He could only figure that since the party was returning from the Zoran Kingdom, they were somewhere in East Hyrule.

The sky was completely dark now, with only a few stars lighting the night sky. Link continued forward across the clear green fields of Hyrule, keeping a steady pace in the direction of the Zoran Kingdom. Suddenly, Link realized that something was strange about the environment. The horse slowed and eventually came to a stop, refusing to move any further.

Link got off the gelding and examined his surroundings. Nothing looked out of place. The grass, the sparse trees, everything seemed normal. It was only when Link began to strike out up a small hill that he realized that it was completely silent. That, and nothing was moving…not even a blade of glass. There was absolutely no wind.

Nervously, the boy unsheathed his small sword and continued up the hill. What he saw on the other side chilled him to the bone.

Strewn about on the grassy knoll were the bodies of those in this morning's party. Rocky, Adrel, even the King, and none of them were moving. Link let in a sharp breath and approached the bodies carefully. Praying to the Goddesses, he bent over the body of his Uncle…and realized that he was still breathing.

Link sighed in relief and ran to check on the King and the others. They were all still breathing, still alive. "But what's wrong with them? Why aren't they moving?" He looked around some more and paused. "Wait…where's the Princess?".

Just then, a strange sound, like the tearing of a large curtain ripped behind him. He turned and saw a flashing white light suspended right in front of him. Link stared at it for a moment, and gripped the handle of his blade until his knuckles were white. This light had something to do with the Princess, he was sure of it.

Link's mind was racing. He had to act fast, the light was flickering and changing size wildly, all the time getting smaller and smaller. "Geez…Uncle, tell me what to do here". Link breathed in deeply and regarded his razorblade. "What would Invincible do in this situation?"

The boy smiled to himself grimly. He knew exactly what the knight would do in this situation. Link stepped forward towards the light. It immediately flashed with blinding brilliance, and enveloped itself around the boys body.

In one final flash, the light was gone, and so was Link, leaving the knoll in perfect silence.

************

A few hours later, the Courtyard was rife with activity at the late hour, as Knights brought the unconscious forms of the soldiers and the King back from the Hylian field for medical attention. Invincible stood in the middle of the walkway to the Castle, handing out orders to the remaining Knights to investigate the attack, and the whereabouts of the Princess.

Zelda and Impa came out of the castle quickly and came directly up to the head Knight. Zelda's piercing blue eyes were frantic. "Tell me what you know.", she demanded.

"Rile is hurt, Zelda. He and the rest of them…they wont wake up… but at least they're alive.", he told her, without facing her directly. "Once they do wake, we'll have an idea about what happened."

The Queen faced Invincible directly and took a part of his tunic in her hand. "Just tell me about Zelda."

Invincible grimaced and looked Zelda straight in the eye. "We can't find her."

Zelda let out a shuddering sigh and covered her face in her hands. Invincible held her by the shoulders and gave her a little shake. "Hey, it's okay. We'll find her. I promise."

The Queen nodded quickly and looked at him with determination. "Do what you think you have to do, Link, but she's my daughter and I wont lose her. I wont let anything stand in my way."

Invincible nodded and released the Queen from his grip. She regarded him for a moment, and then turned and returned to the Castle with Impa at her side. He could feel the force of her Wisdom roiling around and inside of her.

He couldn't help but let loose a small smile. He knew that whoever it was that was responsible for this would be in for a fate worse than death.

************

When Link opened his eyes, he was surrounded by tall, thin trees. The sky was a purple-red haze, and the air smelled thick and musty. He knew this wasn't the Hyrule fields.

He reached to rub his eyes…and then noticed his hands. No, not hands, more like paws. Big paws attached to thick furry forearms. Pink fur.

Pink fur?

He rubbed his eyes again. The fur was still there. Quickly, he sat up and looked at himself. His green tunic was the same, as was his brown leather shorts. However, he noticed that his boots for missing…and for good reason.

His big freakin' rabbit feet were too big for boots.

Terrified, ran his paws up his furry, face…his sloped forehead and down his wet whiskered nose. Finally, he felt up the side of his face, and up…and up….and up to the tip of his very long ears.

…he was a rabbit.

Link looked again at his paws.

…he was a pink rabbit.

With that comprehension, Link let out a piercing scream.

NEXT: Whew…that was long wasn't it. Well, anyway…the real fun begins. I think we all know where Link is right now ( the young Link I mean. ), but this World is a lot different than the one we all remember from the games. But the more things change, the more things stay the same. Case in point, Link is a pink rabbit. Can he find a way to get to his original Elven form? And what of the Princess? What happened to her and who is responsible? Stay tuned for V1.4!! Please review this if you read it, and have a great day! (o'.')o.