A/N: This is the first LoZ fic I ever wrote seriously. It actually was started about three years ago and has been finished on and off after having survived through three hiatuses and a serious consideration of scrapping. But I decided to give it another chance, and am actually quite pleased with the results. Rated PG-13 for violence and Link's surprisingly dirty mouth; warnings include angst, sadness, violence, Link/Zelda pairing (no citrus), and alternate realities. The timeline I'm basing things on is a quasi-alternate-reality of my own creation: I base most if not all of my Zelda fanfiction on the idea that all the deeds done and chronicled in the Zelda games (with the exception of the Wind Waker for obvious reasons) were the deeds of one brave young lad chosen by Destiny and the three Goddesses as the Hero of Time, the Legendary Hero. Oh. And I don't own Linky (more's the pity) or Zelda or any of the game's other characters. They are copyrighted to Miyamoto Shigeru-san and Nintendo, the lucky bastards. I own, however, sole copyright of each and every one of my original characters. Steal them and I will hunt you down and break your elbows. Remember: A vague threat is no one's friend.
-Act I-
A Twist of Fate
4
Link headed straight for the palace stables where Epona sat ready and waiting. As he adjusted the packs on her saddle, he heard footsteps in the doorway and didn't even have to turn around to know who it was. "I was wondering when you would come, Holy Sage," he said to Impa.
The Sage of Shadow smiled. "I knew someone had to see you off," she said in her ever-quiet voice. I brought you something, Hero," she said , and it was then that Link turned to face her. What he saw was a cloth-covered bundle, small and round.
He took it from her and unwrapped the Ocarina of Time, the Hylian royal family's secret treasure, guarded and handed down through the line for generations. He just looked at it for a moment, not speaking.
"I give this to you with specific orders from the princess herself," Impa said then. "She told me that should anything happen to her, this was the first thing you were to be given. I tell you, young sir," Impa hesitated, "I don't know that it'll help you along your way on this quest."
"What?" he asked intently. "What have you seen, Impa? Tell me," he begged.
"I cannot. Though the Sages may see the future, it is unwise, even forbidden to reveal it to any," Impa said, and Link knew instantly that she was not fond of that rule. "I will tell you that this journey will be unlike any you've ever faced," Impa told him, edging around giving him direct information, "and that your previous travels and quests will not aid you where you must go."
"Can you tell me anything?"
"I see great pain," she said, a frown creasing her smooth forehead, "and stars falling from the heavens. I see death, and I see destruction. But I also see light and hope and promise. I know it will be difficult for you, young Hero of Time, but I am also sure that you can overcome. Never forsake your friends," she said insistently. "When you find those you can trust, keep them close, and you'll never be defeated. Trust your instincts, boy. Don't ever surrender." She paused, thinking. "And, as always, I warn you; be ready for anything."
Link regarded her calmly for a moment, then swung up into the saddle. As he walked the steed out into the bright sunlight, he smiled briefly, saluting the Sheikah woman. "I always am," he said, and then he dug his heels into Epona's flanks, and rode away, leaving only a solitary trail of dust to mark his passing.
And Impa watched him go. "The Goddesses go with you, boy."
Link rode steadily across Hyrule field, reaching Kakariko Village around mid-afternoon. He dismounted and led Epona hastily through the village, not stopping to speak to anyone except to purchase some bombs from a shop near the start to Death Mountain Trail. Once past the village, he got back on the horse and spurred her into a light but fast run up the mountain, not even slowing as Epona trampled over the occasional Tektite, and smoothly avoiding the boulders that frequently rolled down the side of the peak. Upon reaching Spectacle Rock, Link blasted open the entrance to the cavern, tied Epona's reins to a small outcropping, and descended into the darkness.
-Act I-
A Twist of Fate
4
Link headed straight for the palace stables where Epona sat ready and waiting. As he adjusted the packs on her saddle, he heard footsteps in the doorway and didn't even have to turn around to know who it was. "I was wondering when you would come, Holy Sage," he said to Impa.
The Sage of Shadow smiled. "I knew someone had to see you off," she said in her ever-quiet voice. I brought you something, Hero," she said , and it was then that Link turned to face her. What he saw was a cloth-covered bundle, small and round.
He took it from her and unwrapped the Ocarina of Time, the Hylian royal family's secret treasure, guarded and handed down through the line for generations. He just looked at it for a moment, not speaking.
"I give this to you with specific orders from the princess herself," Impa said then. "She told me that should anything happen to her, this was the first thing you were to be given. I tell you, young sir," Impa hesitated, "I don't know that it'll help you along your way on this quest."
"What?" he asked intently. "What have you seen, Impa? Tell me," he begged.
"I cannot. Though the Sages may see the future, it is unwise, even forbidden to reveal it to any," Impa said, and Link knew instantly that she was not fond of that rule. "I will tell you that this journey will be unlike any you've ever faced," Impa told him, edging around giving him direct information, "and that your previous travels and quests will not aid you where you must go."
"Can you tell me anything?"
"I see great pain," she said, a frown creasing her smooth forehead, "and stars falling from the heavens. I see death, and I see destruction. But I also see light and hope and promise. I know it will be difficult for you, young Hero of Time, but I am also sure that you can overcome. Never forsake your friends," she said insistently. "When you find those you can trust, keep them close, and you'll never be defeated. Trust your instincts, boy. Don't ever surrender." She paused, thinking. "And, as always, I warn you; be ready for anything."
Link regarded her calmly for a moment, then swung up into the saddle. As he walked the steed out into the bright sunlight, he smiled briefly, saluting the Sheikah woman. "I always am," he said, and then he dug his heels into Epona's flanks, and rode away, leaving only a solitary trail of dust to mark his passing.
And Impa watched him go. "The Goddesses go with you, boy."
Link rode steadily across Hyrule field, reaching Kakariko Village around mid-afternoon. He dismounted and led Epona hastily through the village, not stopping to speak to anyone except to purchase some bombs from a shop near the start to Death Mountain Trail. Once past the village, he got back on the horse and spurred her into a light but fast run up the mountain, not even slowing as Epona trampled over the occasional Tektite, and smoothly avoiding the boulders that frequently rolled down the side of the peak. Upon reaching Spectacle Rock, Link blasted open the entrance to the cavern, tied Epona's reins to a small outcropping, and descended into the darkness.