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-
12
Link sat once more on the couch with the Book of Mudora open in his lap, poring over its contents with a kind of feverish haste, looking for something, anything, that might hasten his return to Hyrule.
"Find anything?" John asked curiously.
Link nodded. "I think so," he replied. "I just hope I've got enough dust to pull it off."
"Dust?" John echoed.
Link nodded. "I've got this powder from the Great Faeries that live in Hyrule…I see that smile, Kate," he said as she walked past, trying to hide the grin, "and if you so much as giggle I'll do horrible things to your face."
She sighed. "Sorry."
"Right," Link said, flashing a quick grin. "Anyway, if I've got enough of this dust left, I should be able to open a fairly stable short-term portal back to Hyrule-if you two can get me to the docks without interference."
"Wouldn't that be nice," Kate said, her mind flashing back on the previous day's narrow escape.
"Oh, come on, Katie," John said pleasantly. "It might be easy."
"Easy?" she countered. "John, you're sweet, but you've got no idea how stubborn those authority-types can be. I've never actually had to institute 'creative driving' techniques before. I'd rather not do it again, either."
"Okay, I'll drive," John threw in. "I might like 'creative driving.'"
"I'm sure you would," Kate muttered darkly. "Men."
Link watched the interchange without speaking a single word. After they had finished, he went back to what he was saying. "And from there, it's on to find my princess and remove someone's appendages and maybe rearrange certain vital organs," he said with relish.
John winced.
"Ooo," Kate said with a grimace. "I'm definitely glad I'm not that guy," she murmured. "About this Ganondorf fellow," she said, sitting across from John and Link in a chair, "how long have you two…erm…known each other?" she asked curiously.
"Since I was about ten years old," Link replied shortly.
Her eyes widened. "And you lived through him this long? I gather you're not exactly fond of him," she added.
"How'd you guess" was all Link said.
"How did you first meet your archenemy?" John asked, somewhat dramatically.
Link's eyes grew distant as he sat back and thought about it, the book he held momentarily forgotten. "It was particularly dark that night," he began.
"Ooo, one of those beginnings," Kate said eagerly.
Link just stared at her.
"Well, it's kind of a cliché here," John explained. "There are a lot of stories, some good and some not so, that start out 'it was a dark and stormy night'. But I gather yours is good, instead of the not so," he finished.
Link nodded. "It depends on your point of view, I suppose. Anyway, for Kate's sake, I will say that it was indeed a dark and stormy night. I had been making my way across Hyrule Field, a large plain that stretches for miles in the central part of my land. The sun was going down, and I was running as fast as I could. In the distance, I saw that the drawbridge was already up, though the sun had not yet set. I found that odd, since Hyrule Castle Town's main gate is always open, at least, until the sun goes down.
"I had just reached the bridge when there was a loud peal of thunder overhead, and then it started to rain. The overcast sky made the night fall all the faster, and I settled myself in for a long, wet, miserable night in the rain. I was just about ready to sit down by the bridge when there was a shout from inside the castle.
"The chains started to rattle, and the drawbridge suddenly descended, going quite a bit faster than normal. The shouting continued as I stared in through the archway. Surely they couldn't be lowering the bridge just for me?
"I had my answer moments later when I heard the faint but insistent clatter of a horse's hooves. It grew louder, and as I squinted into the darkness, I could see a pale figure coming toward me. The horse was upon me so fast I barely had time to get out of the way," Link continued. "I scrambled out of the way, and whirled to watch the horse fade into the distance. Upon its back sat Princess Zelda, no older than I was. Holding onto the princess was her handmaiden, Impa. I had been too late to make my delivery. I watched the horse as it shrunk in the distance, eventually disappearing entirely into the dark, murky night.
"A sudden sensation made the hair on the back of my neck stand up. There was a snort, and a hoof pawed the earth. I turned around to see the largest horse I'd ever laid eyes on towering over me. It tossed its head about, pawing the turf, as if anxious to run me over. And seated upon its back was Ganondorf Dragmire, Gerudo King. He looked off into the distance and spat out a curse at the fleeing princess. 'Argh! I lost them!' he said angrily.
"I kept praying he'd ride on, that he wouldn't take any notice of me, but such prayers weren't to be heard. His baleful golden gaze turned to me. A frigid wind kicked up, and his red hair blew about like a flame. 'You! Boy! Surely you saw the white horse go past just now. Which way did it go?' he asked. His tone sounded like I was a servant, or some menial person not to be bothered with. 'Answer me!'
I was terrified of him. I couldn't even answer him, nor would I if I could. I took a step backward. One of his eyebrows went up as he stared at me, almost speculatively. 'So,' he said, 'you think you can protect them from me? I like your attitude.'
"Somehow, the condescending tone in his voice made me mad. You'll notice that we hadn't exactly got off to the best start. Without even thinking about it, I pulled my tiny sword and child-sized wooden shield from my back and glared at him as menacingly as I could manage. I'd imagine I looked rather foolish, all soaked with my hair plastered to my face from the rain. To his credit, Ganondorf didn't laugh right away. He just kept looking at me, so hard that I thought I'd melt right there.
"And then, a low rumble started, and he chuckled. 'You've got guts, kid,' he told me, and I definitely didn't like how he said it. Then the twisted smile disappeared, replaced by an expression of hatred. I think, on some subconscious level, he had a fleeting vision of what I would mean against him later. His face hardened, chilling me to the bone, and he sat up straight in his saddle. 'Fool!' he thundered. 'Do you know who I am? I am Ganondorf, and one day, I will rule the world!' He stuck out one hand at me, and a ball of black energy built up in his palm. It coalesced into a beam of light so cold that it would have burned.
"And then he threw it at me. It struck me full in the chest, and I was thrown backward to land on my back on the cold, wet ground. The last thing I heard was his laughter as he rode away, the hooves of his horse sounding louder than was natural as everything dimmed, and went black."
Link looked up. "When I woke up, the sun was out, the rain had stopped, and Ganondorf was long gone."
Kate shuddered. "Sounds like a great guy."
"Can't wait to meet him," John muttered.
"Yes, you can," Link said fervently. "I've never met anyone before or since that has so thoroughly terrified me. Ganondorf is the embodiment of everything I've come to fight against."
"When do we leave?" Kate asked, hoping to break the somber feeling that had dropped over the trio like a blanket.
"Tonight?" Link asked. "It's crucial that I get back as soon as possible. There's no telling what Ganondorf's cronies have done since I've been gone. Just because I got their boss already doesn't mean they're smart enough to lay off."
"I'm beginning to get that picture," Kate said with a grimace. "Tonight sounds good."
"I'll be ready," John agreed.
"Good." Link said, nodding.
"I'll be back in a half an hour or so," Kate said. "I've got a couple things left at my apartment I'd like to grab before we go."
"Be careful," John said as she opened the front door.
Link stood and stopped Kate as she turned to leave. "Uhm," he said. "About last night…well, yeah." He seemed at a loss for words.
"Hey," she replied lightly. Don't worry about it." In a friendly gesture, she reached up on tiptoes and kissed his cheek. "That's what friends are for, right?"
-Act II-
-Dimensional Refugees-
12
Link sat once more on the couch with the Book of Mudora open in his lap, poring over its contents with a kind of feverish haste, looking for something, anything, that might hasten his return to Hyrule.
"Find anything?" John asked curiously.
Link nodded. "I think so," he replied. "I just hope I've got enough dust to pull it off."
"Dust?" John echoed.
Link nodded. "I've got this powder from the Great Faeries that live in Hyrule…I see that smile, Kate," he said as she walked past, trying to hide the grin, "and if you so much as giggle I'll do horrible things to your face."
She sighed. "Sorry."
"Right," Link said, flashing a quick grin. "Anyway, if I've got enough of this dust left, I should be able to open a fairly stable short-term portal back to Hyrule-if you two can get me to the docks without interference."
"Wouldn't that be nice," Kate said, her mind flashing back on the previous day's narrow escape.
"Oh, come on, Katie," John said pleasantly. "It might be easy."
"Easy?" she countered. "John, you're sweet, but you've got no idea how stubborn those authority-types can be. I've never actually had to institute 'creative driving' techniques before. I'd rather not do it again, either."
"Okay, I'll drive," John threw in. "I might like 'creative driving.'"
"I'm sure you would," Kate muttered darkly. "Men."
Link watched the interchange without speaking a single word. After they had finished, he went back to what he was saying. "And from there, it's on to find my princess and remove someone's appendages and maybe rearrange certain vital organs," he said with relish.
John winced.
"Ooo," Kate said with a grimace. "I'm definitely glad I'm not that guy," she murmured. "About this Ganondorf fellow," she said, sitting across from John and Link in a chair, "how long have you two…erm…known each other?" she asked curiously.
"Since I was about ten years old," Link replied shortly.
Her eyes widened. "And you lived through him this long? I gather you're not exactly fond of him," she added.
"How'd you guess" was all Link said.
"How did you first meet your archenemy?" John asked, somewhat dramatically.
Link's eyes grew distant as he sat back and thought about it, the book he held momentarily forgotten. "It was particularly dark that night," he began.
"Ooo, one of those beginnings," Kate said eagerly.
Link just stared at her.
"Well, it's kind of a cliché here," John explained. "There are a lot of stories, some good and some not so, that start out 'it was a dark and stormy night'. But I gather yours is good, instead of the not so," he finished.
Link nodded. "It depends on your point of view, I suppose. Anyway, for Kate's sake, I will say that it was indeed a dark and stormy night. I had been making my way across Hyrule Field, a large plain that stretches for miles in the central part of my land. The sun was going down, and I was running as fast as I could. In the distance, I saw that the drawbridge was already up, though the sun had not yet set. I found that odd, since Hyrule Castle Town's main gate is always open, at least, until the sun goes down.
"I had just reached the bridge when there was a loud peal of thunder overhead, and then it started to rain. The overcast sky made the night fall all the faster, and I settled myself in for a long, wet, miserable night in the rain. I was just about ready to sit down by the bridge when there was a shout from inside the castle.
"The chains started to rattle, and the drawbridge suddenly descended, going quite a bit faster than normal. The shouting continued as I stared in through the archway. Surely they couldn't be lowering the bridge just for me?
"I had my answer moments later when I heard the faint but insistent clatter of a horse's hooves. It grew louder, and as I squinted into the darkness, I could see a pale figure coming toward me. The horse was upon me so fast I barely had time to get out of the way," Link continued. "I scrambled out of the way, and whirled to watch the horse fade into the distance. Upon its back sat Princess Zelda, no older than I was. Holding onto the princess was her handmaiden, Impa. I had been too late to make my delivery. I watched the horse as it shrunk in the distance, eventually disappearing entirely into the dark, murky night.
"A sudden sensation made the hair on the back of my neck stand up. There was a snort, and a hoof pawed the earth. I turned around to see the largest horse I'd ever laid eyes on towering over me. It tossed its head about, pawing the turf, as if anxious to run me over. And seated upon its back was Ganondorf Dragmire, Gerudo King. He looked off into the distance and spat out a curse at the fleeing princess. 'Argh! I lost them!' he said angrily.
"I kept praying he'd ride on, that he wouldn't take any notice of me, but such prayers weren't to be heard. His baleful golden gaze turned to me. A frigid wind kicked up, and his red hair blew about like a flame. 'You! Boy! Surely you saw the white horse go past just now. Which way did it go?' he asked. His tone sounded like I was a servant, or some menial person not to be bothered with. 'Answer me!'
I was terrified of him. I couldn't even answer him, nor would I if I could. I took a step backward. One of his eyebrows went up as he stared at me, almost speculatively. 'So,' he said, 'you think you can protect them from me? I like your attitude.'
"Somehow, the condescending tone in his voice made me mad. You'll notice that we hadn't exactly got off to the best start. Without even thinking about it, I pulled my tiny sword and child-sized wooden shield from my back and glared at him as menacingly as I could manage. I'd imagine I looked rather foolish, all soaked with my hair plastered to my face from the rain. To his credit, Ganondorf didn't laugh right away. He just kept looking at me, so hard that I thought I'd melt right there.
"And then, a low rumble started, and he chuckled. 'You've got guts, kid,' he told me, and I definitely didn't like how he said it. Then the twisted smile disappeared, replaced by an expression of hatred. I think, on some subconscious level, he had a fleeting vision of what I would mean against him later. His face hardened, chilling me to the bone, and he sat up straight in his saddle. 'Fool!' he thundered. 'Do you know who I am? I am Ganondorf, and one day, I will rule the world!' He stuck out one hand at me, and a ball of black energy built up in his palm. It coalesced into a beam of light so cold that it would have burned.
"And then he threw it at me. It struck me full in the chest, and I was thrown backward to land on my back on the cold, wet ground. The last thing I heard was his laughter as he rode away, the hooves of his horse sounding louder than was natural as everything dimmed, and went black."
Link looked up. "When I woke up, the sun was out, the rain had stopped, and Ganondorf was long gone."
Kate shuddered. "Sounds like a great guy."
"Can't wait to meet him," John muttered.
"Yes, you can," Link said fervently. "I've never met anyone before or since that has so thoroughly terrified me. Ganondorf is the embodiment of everything I've come to fight against."
"When do we leave?" Kate asked, hoping to break the somber feeling that had dropped over the trio like a blanket.
"Tonight?" Link asked. "It's crucial that I get back as soon as possible. There's no telling what Ganondorf's cronies have done since I've been gone. Just because I got their boss already doesn't mean they're smart enough to lay off."
"I'm beginning to get that picture," Kate said with a grimace. "Tonight sounds good."
"I'll be ready," John agreed.
"Good." Link said, nodding.
"I'll be back in a half an hour or so," Kate said. "I've got a couple things left at my apartment I'd like to grab before we go."
"Be careful," John said as she opened the front door.
Link stood and stopped Kate as she turned to leave. "Uhm," he said. "About last night…well, yeah." He seemed at a loss for words.
"Hey," she replied lightly. Don't worry about it." In a friendly gesture, she reached up on tiptoes and kissed his cheek. "That's what friends are for, right?"