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. And also, this act is where things kind of get silly. Just keep in mind that most o the time while I was writing this I was in high school and that I've improved dramatically since almost four years ago, AND I had no idea what I was doing when I did start it. So if it seems a little far-fetched...deal with it. xp
-Act II-
-Dimensional Refugees-
6
There was a bit of trouble when the two hospital escapees got to the parking garage at the foot of the hospital, but not from police or anyone else.
Link stopped cold in his tracks when he got his first look at cars. He simply stopped and stared. "What are those?" he asked quietly.
"Cars." She frowned. Oh, how to explain that…? She thought quickly. "It's…they're kind of like a carriage," she said as the idea popped into her head by way of gracious inspiration, "only there's no horses to pull it. It runs by itself."
"Fine. I'm sure the details would probably just confuse me, so let's just go. Where's yours?"
That seemed too easy. Kate grinned and led him to a baby blue Hyundai Sonata. Quickly deciphering the door handle, Link got in the car and sat down in the passenger seat. Kat threw his bags into the trunk, and scrambled around to the drivers' side, where she dove into the car. Fumbling briefly with her keys, she located the correct one and jammed it frantically into the ignition. The engine roared to life as she cranked the key. Startled, Link jumped backwards in the seat, his arm pressed against the dashboard as he held himself as far away from the bellowing engine as he could. His face had a horribly terrified expression, and, Kate noticed, he looked a little wild around the eyes. She grinned in an effort to calm him down. "No," she said quickly. "It's supposed to do that. That noise is very normal. Don't worry so much."
Slowly, still a little wary, Link eased himself back down into the seat, staring suspiciously at the dashboard. Kate laughed. Looking in the rear view mirror, she cursed, the smile fading quickly. Several people were standing in the doorway to the garage, pointing and waving wildly at the Sonata. Kate muttered several swearwords under her breath as she threw the gearshift into the reverse position. As she backed carefully out of the parking spot, she smiled. "Please make sure your tray tables and seatbacks are in the upright and locked position," she muttered. "I've always wanted to say that," she added with a smile.
Link, pulled his eyes away from the dash and stared at her in confusion. "What?" he asked blankly.
She smiled and pointed at the shoulder harness. "Seat belts," she clarified.
Quickly figuring out how to fit the buckle into the snap, Link barely heard it click before Kate shoved the gearshift into drive. She slammed her foot down on the gas pedal, and Link was thrown backwards in his chair. He winced at the twinge of pain in his not-quite-healed right arm, and Kate grimaced. "Sorry," she mumbled, preoccupied with leaving before anyone else could follow. "If you don't mind, I'd like to put a little distance between them," she pointed over her shoulder, "and us."
The Sonata raced out the exit, tires squealing in rubber anguish as they burned themselves into the concrete from Kate's hasty retreat. They roared hell-bent down the streets of San Francisco; caution thrown to the wind. Link just shut his eyes and prayed to all three Goddesses that Kate wouldn't get them killed as the Hyundai swerved in and out of traffic, careening between cars with understandably upset drivers. She shouted the word "sorry" out the window several times, and drove on, constantly chewing her lip. Link suddenly had a sneaking suspicion that she wished she could close her eyes as they flew down Cannery Row.
"Are you trying to kill us both?" he asked as she slammed on the brakes, throwing him forward and narrowly missing what could have been a ten car pile-up if she'd continued.
"You never know." Kate grinned.
"No worries, but…er…what are those flashing lights behind us?" Link asked nervously, at one point when his eyes hesitantly opened. He'd seen them out of the corner of his eye.
"Aw, hell," she muttered, and, glancing in the rearview, she saw what he meant. There were three San Francisco PD cars in hot pursuit, closely followed by two California Highway Patrol cars, dead-set on bringing them back for a severe reprimand…or worse…Kate thought grimly. "Hang on!" she cried, and, spying a fast-approaching side-street, Kate cranked the wheel hard to the left, apologizing as Link was thrown into the passenger side door. The Sonata screeched around the corner, narrowly avoiding a street lamp post, and bits of gravel flew everywhere as they sped over the ground in the narrow alley. Two of the SFPD cars managed to make the sudden corner, but the third slammed sideways into the light pole, coming to a sudden halt as Kate watched in the mirror. "Ooo, hope they're all right…"
The two remaining SFPD cars continued the pursuit along with the CHP units, still dogging their trail. Kate scowled. "Oh, so you wanna play, huh?" she asked, and, turning sharply to the right, she pulled the Sonata into a second side alley, and floored the gas pedal. They flew at breakneck speeds down the thin side street. Another SFPD car ended its chase rather abruptly when it crashed fender-first into a large, green dumpster, spewing refuse into the path of the CHP cars. One of the unfortunate CHP cars had its windshield covered by the floating rubbish, and someone panicked inside, and the vehicle spun out, flipping twice before coming to rest right-side-up lengthwise in the narrow alley, spraying broken glass and twisted metal everywhere. Kate grinned wickedly. "Three down, two to go…" she muttered viciously.
The powder-blue Sonata sped back onto the main thoroughfare, dodging in and out of traffic in a desperate attempt to shake its last two bitterly determined pursuers. Kate cursed inwardly at the red signal light at an upcoming intersection, and pressed the gas pedal into the floor. "Uh…" Link said, "doesn't the red one mean 'stop'?" he asked, his voice rising in alarm.
"Not today," Kate retorted sharply as the Sonata passed between two other cars, narrowly avoiding broad siding a large, two-trailer semi.
The last SFPD unit was not so fortunate, the left corner of its front fender colliding firmly with the side of the semi. The car jerked violently to the side, and bits of metal and broken glass flew everywhere as the windshield shattered and the front of the car collapsed in upon itself. At Kate's disconcerted expression, Link grinned reassuringly. "I'm sure they're all fine," he said confidently. "You Californians seem to have a strong instinct for survival."
Kate laughed. "Just look at me," she said, and glanced in the rearview to check the condition of the pursuit. She was crestfallen when she realized that the last CHP vehicle had somehow avoided colliding with the semi and was still chasing them down the street. Kate grinned suddenly, and told Link, "Hold on and watch this."
Cranking the steering wheel sharply to the left, Kate flipped the car around 180 degrees so she was facing the CHP. "Uhm, Kate, don't we wanna go the other way?" Link asked nervously.
She shook her head. "Not this time." Punching the gas, the car leapt into motion, roaring suddenly toward the CHP, but on the opposite side of the road. The Hyundai flew past the startled California Highway Patrol officers before they even knew what happened. Turning before they looked, the poor CHP car was t-boned by a nondescript green Dodge Intrepid, and the driver thereof was distinctly unhappy.
Kate chortled with unsuppressed glee as they fled. "Oh, that was priceless," she cried. "I can't believe I just pulled that off."
Link, who was slightly pale from the panic attack he'd just suffered thanks to Kate's erratic driving, breathed a sigh of relief. "Nice timing," he muttered, looking a bit sick.
Kate drove warily but calmly to an apartment complex not far from where they'd lost the last car, and pulled to a stop in front of it. "I'm going to call my partner and see if he can hole us up while we figure out what to do with you. And besides, I need a few things."
Kate disappeared inside the building, and the Hero of Time was left alone.
-Act II-
-Dimensional Refugees-
6
There was a bit of trouble when the two hospital escapees got to the parking garage at the foot of the hospital, but not from police or anyone else.
Link stopped cold in his tracks when he got his first look at cars. He simply stopped and stared. "What are those?" he asked quietly.
"Cars." She frowned. Oh, how to explain that…? She thought quickly. "It's…they're kind of like a carriage," she said as the idea popped into her head by way of gracious inspiration, "only there's no horses to pull it. It runs by itself."
"Fine. I'm sure the details would probably just confuse me, so let's just go. Where's yours?"
That seemed too easy. Kate grinned and led him to a baby blue Hyundai Sonata. Quickly deciphering the door handle, Link got in the car and sat down in the passenger seat. Kat threw his bags into the trunk, and scrambled around to the drivers' side, where she dove into the car. Fumbling briefly with her keys, she located the correct one and jammed it frantically into the ignition. The engine roared to life as she cranked the key. Startled, Link jumped backwards in the seat, his arm pressed against the dashboard as he held himself as far away from the bellowing engine as he could. His face had a horribly terrified expression, and, Kate noticed, he looked a little wild around the eyes. She grinned in an effort to calm him down. "No," she said quickly. "It's supposed to do that. That noise is very normal. Don't worry so much."
Slowly, still a little wary, Link eased himself back down into the seat, staring suspiciously at the dashboard. Kate laughed. Looking in the rear view mirror, she cursed, the smile fading quickly. Several people were standing in the doorway to the garage, pointing and waving wildly at the Sonata. Kate muttered several swearwords under her breath as she threw the gearshift into the reverse position. As she backed carefully out of the parking spot, she smiled. "Please make sure your tray tables and seatbacks are in the upright and locked position," she muttered. "I've always wanted to say that," she added with a smile.
Link, pulled his eyes away from the dash and stared at her in confusion. "What?" he asked blankly.
She smiled and pointed at the shoulder harness. "Seat belts," she clarified.
Quickly figuring out how to fit the buckle into the snap, Link barely heard it click before Kate shoved the gearshift into drive. She slammed her foot down on the gas pedal, and Link was thrown backwards in his chair. He winced at the twinge of pain in his not-quite-healed right arm, and Kate grimaced. "Sorry," she mumbled, preoccupied with leaving before anyone else could follow. "If you don't mind, I'd like to put a little distance between them," she pointed over her shoulder, "and us."
The Sonata raced out the exit, tires squealing in rubber anguish as they burned themselves into the concrete from Kate's hasty retreat. They roared hell-bent down the streets of San Francisco; caution thrown to the wind. Link just shut his eyes and prayed to all three Goddesses that Kate wouldn't get them killed as the Hyundai swerved in and out of traffic, careening between cars with understandably upset drivers. She shouted the word "sorry" out the window several times, and drove on, constantly chewing her lip. Link suddenly had a sneaking suspicion that she wished she could close her eyes as they flew down Cannery Row.
"Are you trying to kill us both?" he asked as she slammed on the brakes, throwing him forward and narrowly missing what could have been a ten car pile-up if she'd continued.
"You never know." Kate grinned.
"No worries, but…er…what are those flashing lights behind us?" Link asked nervously, at one point when his eyes hesitantly opened. He'd seen them out of the corner of his eye.
"Aw, hell," she muttered, and, glancing in the rearview, she saw what he meant. There were three San Francisco PD cars in hot pursuit, closely followed by two California Highway Patrol cars, dead-set on bringing them back for a severe reprimand…or worse…Kate thought grimly. "Hang on!" she cried, and, spying a fast-approaching side-street, Kate cranked the wheel hard to the left, apologizing as Link was thrown into the passenger side door. The Sonata screeched around the corner, narrowly avoiding a street lamp post, and bits of gravel flew everywhere as they sped over the ground in the narrow alley. Two of the SFPD cars managed to make the sudden corner, but the third slammed sideways into the light pole, coming to a sudden halt as Kate watched in the mirror. "Ooo, hope they're all right…"
The two remaining SFPD cars continued the pursuit along with the CHP units, still dogging their trail. Kate scowled. "Oh, so you wanna play, huh?" she asked, and, turning sharply to the right, she pulled the Sonata into a second side alley, and floored the gas pedal. They flew at breakneck speeds down the thin side street. Another SFPD car ended its chase rather abruptly when it crashed fender-first into a large, green dumpster, spewing refuse into the path of the CHP cars. One of the unfortunate CHP cars had its windshield covered by the floating rubbish, and someone panicked inside, and the vehicle spun out, flipping twice before coming to rest right-side-up lengthwise in the narrow alley, spraying broken glass and twisted metal everywhere. Kate grinned wickedly. "Three down, two to go…" she muttered viciously.
The powder-blue Sonata sped back onto the main thoroughfare, dodging in and out of traffic in a desperate attempt to shake its last two bitterly determined pursuers. Kate cursed inwardly at the red signal light at an upcoming intersection, and pressed the gas pedal into the floor. "Uh…" Link said, "doesn't the red one mean 'stop'?" he asked, his voice rising in alarm.
"Not today," Kate retorted sharply as the Sonata passed between two other cars, narrowly avoiding broad siding a large, two-trailer semi.
The last SFPD unit was not so fortunate, the left corner of its front fender colliding firmly with the side of the semi. The car jerked violently to the side, and bits of metal and broken glass flew everywhere as the windshield shattered and the front of the car collapsed in upon itself. At Kate's disconcerted expression, Link grinned reassuringly. "I'm sure they're all fine," he said confidently. "You Californians seem to have a strong instinct for survival."
Kate laughed. "Just look at me," she said, and glanced in the rearview to check the condition of the pursuit. She was crestfallen when she realized that the last CHP vehicle had somehow avoided colliding with the semi and was still chasing them down the street. Kate grinned suddenly, and told Link, "Hold on and watch this."
Cranking the steering wheel sharply to the left, Kate flipped the car around 180 degrees so she was facing the CHP. "Uhm, Kate, don't we wanna go the other way?" Link asked nervously.
She shook her head. "Not this time." Punching the gas, the car leapt into motion, roaring suddenly toward the CHP, but on the opposite side of the road. The Hyundai flew past the startled California Highway Patrol officers before they even knew what happened. Turning before they looked, the poor CHP car was t-boned by a nondescript green Dodge Intrepid, and the driver thereof was distinctly unhappy.
Kate chortled with unsuppressed glee as they fled. "Oh, that was priceless," she cried. "I can't believe I just pulled that off."
Link, who was slightly pale from the panic attack he'd just suffered thanks to Kate's erratic driving, breathed a sigh of relief. "Nice timing," he muttered, looking a bit sick.
Kate drove warily but calmly to an apartment complex not far from where they'd lost the last car, and pulled to a stop in front of it. "I'm going to call my partner and see if he can hole us up while we figure out what to do with you. And besides, I need a few things."
Kate disappeared inside the building, and the Hero of Time was left alone.