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 III-
A Hero's Return
7
A cricket chirped nearby.
Other than that, the only sound that could be heard on the mountain trail was the distant creaking of the windmill in Kakariko Village. There hadn't been so much as a Tektite to slow the trio's progress, nor had they seen any of the usual Goron mining parties that rolled their way between their cavernous city and the Dodongo's Cavern nearby, day or night. It didn't matter to Gorons. Something wasn't right. Link could feel it all the way down in his toes. It carried on the wind.
He had a problem.
As the trio descended into the village, climbing down the short stone stairway at the far gate, Link looked around in shocked amazement. The whole place was deserted. There wasn't a person in sight. Most of the buildings had boarded windows, even a few doors had wood hastily nailed across them. As for sound, there wasn't even a stray Cucco somewhere clucking its brains out. He frowned.
"Is this place usually this empty?" Kate asked in a hushed voice, looking around.
The sky lightened as the sun started to rise behind the windmill.
Link shook his head. "No," he said quietly. "It isn't. Something is very wrong." He pulled the Ocarina from his bag and played a quick, six-note tune on it. There was a faint whinny, and then the sound of hooves in a fast gallop.
A horse came trotting in through the west gate, stopped in front of Link and tossed her mane, as if sensing the urgency in the air. Link rubbed her neck fondly. "Epona, meet John and Kate."
Kate smiled. "She's lovely."
"Friend of yours?" John quipped.
"For quite a few years," Link nodded. He smiled. "We've been together for quite a while, haven't we?"
With no further attempt at an explanation, he swung up into the saddle.
"Wait! Where are you going?" Kate asked.
"If you two don't mind waiting, I've got a friend who lives not too far from here that might be willing to loan me a couple horses for you two," Link explained. "I should be back before nightfall."
He turned and spurred Epona into a gallop.
"Nightfall?!" John cried after him, but the Hero of Time was too far away to hear him. He rounded a corner on the horse and disappeared.
"Well, everything we need should probably be in those packs," Kate said, pointing at Link's supplies. She shivered.
"Let's just hope he's right and that he will be back before night," John said. "I'd hate to think what would happen to someone alone and unarmed in this place at night."
"What do you mean, unarmed?" Kate asked quizzically.
John pointed to the ground, toward the bags.
"He didn't take his sword."
-Act III-
A Hero's Return
7
A cricket chirped nearby.
Other than that, the only sound that could be heard on the mountain trail was the distant creaking of the windmill in Kakariko Village. There hadn't been so much as a Tektite to slow the trio's progress, nor had they seen any of the usual Goron mining parties that rolled their way between their cavernous city and the Dodongo's Cavern nearby, day or night. It didn't matter to Gorons. Something wasn't right. Link could feel it all the way down in his toes. It carried on the wind.
He had a problem.
As the trio descended into the village, climbing down the short stone stairway at the far gate, Link looked around in shocked amazement. The whole place was deserted. There wasn't a person in sight. Most of the buildings had boarded windows, even a few doors had wood hastily nailed across them. As for sound, there wasn't even a stray Cucco somewhere clucking its brains out. He frowned.
"Is this place usually this empty?" Kate asked in a hushed voice, looking around.
The sky lightened as the sun started to rise behind the windmill.
Link shook his head. "No," he said quietly. "It isn't. Something is very wrong." He pulled the Ocarina from his bag and played a quick, six-note tune on it. There was a faint whinny, and then the sound of hooves in a fast gallop.
A horse came trotting in through the west gate, stopped in front of Link and tossed her mane, as if sensing the urgency in the air. Link rubbed her neck fondly. "Epona, meet John and Kate."
Kate smiled. "She's lovely."
"Friend of yours?" John quipped.
"For quite a few years," Link nodded. He smiled. "We've been together for quite a while, haven't we?"
With no further attempt at an explanation, he swung up into the saddle.
"Wait! Where are you going?" Kate asked.
"If you two don't mind waiting, I've got a friend who lives not too far from here that might be willing to loan me a couple horses for you two," Link explained. "I should be back before nightfall."
He turned and spurred Epona into a gallop.
"Nightfall?!" John cried after him, but the Hero of Time was too far away to hear him. He rounded a corner on the horse and disappeared.
"Well, everything we need should probably be in those packs," Kate said, pointing at Link's supplies. She shivered.
"Let's just hope he's right and that he will be back before night," John said. "I'd hate to think what would happen to someone alone and unarmed in this place at night."
"What do you mean, unarmed?" Kate asked quizzically.
John pointed to the ground, toward the bags.
"He didn't take his sword."