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
8
Zelda's frenetic pacing was interrupted by the sound of raucous laughter floating down the hallway to her ears. She steeled herself mentally, thinking it was time for another visit from Link's darker half, but soon realized that the laughter didn't belong to that monster. There were two distinct sets of laughter that accompanied the footsteps that were approaching the cell door.
A laugh. "How much?" a voice asked.
"Fifty," the second voice said, sounding the tiniest bit petulant.
"Is that it?" the first voice, sounding kind of raspy, replied.
"Yeah," Whiny affirmed. "I bet off a flat rate…" he mumbled.
"That was the stupid thing," Raspy said.
"Oh yeah? How much did you get off her?"
"Hundred and sixty-five," Raspy said proudly.
The voices drew nearer. "Yeah?" Whiny gasped.
"Right."
"How?"
"I went five rupees for every ten minutes she lasted under that. I would have had twenty more, but she passed out thirty-three minutes into it."
Whiny burst out laughing uncontrollably. "Man, those Gerudos sure can take a beating," he said callously.
Zelda went cold as she realized what the two men spoke of, and she started to shake as cold anger flowed through her, freezing her mind and making her fists clench. She gritted her teeth as the voices got to the door, standing with a dark scowl upon her face.
The door swung loudly open, and the two men continued to laugh as they dragged an unconscious figure into the cell. Kitara hung loosely from the arms of the two men, her head swinging from side to side with each bump.
The first caught sight of Zelda's fierce, burning gaze, and the smile died from his face as he looked away, reddening with shame. The second soon followed suit, and they mutely transported Kitara to the flat metal bunk, depositing her on it. She moaned faintly as she lay there.
Without a word, the pair left, shutting and locking the door behind them. After the pair had gone, Zelda did her best to bottle her rage and hurried over to the unconscious Gerudo. Kitara's breathing was shallow and labored, and a sheen of sweat covered her, making her seem to glisten in the dim light. There were marks along her shoulders that almost looked like burns, and Zelda's face went hard. As best she could, she hefted the Gerudo warrior onto the cell's flat bunk. Kitara moaned and stirred at the slight movement, and then remained still. Zelda frowned. She placed a hand on either side of Kitara's head and closed her eyes, concentrating on the injuries.
Slowly, a bluish light started to grow, surrounding Kitara and seeming to absorb into her very being. It lasted for several minutes. Finally, it faded, and Zelda slumped wearily to the ground, holding onto the side of the bunk to keep from falling over. She sat down next to the bunk, realizing that Kitara's breathing was a lot less shallow. She smiled, knowing that there was nothing to be done now. Except to wait.
As she sat there, the most peculiar sensation began to form inside her mind and heart. She frowned, looking around. There was no one in the room beside Kitara and herself, and yet, there was a distinct sense of a presence there, something frighteningly familiar, and yet at the same time, exhilarating. She thought for a moment, her eyes closed, and then, suddenly, it happened.
She knew. As her eyes filled with tears, Zelda finally recognized the presence that now filled the month-old hole in her heart.
Link was back.
The Legendary Hero of Time had come home.
-Act III-
A Hero's Return
8
Zelda's frenetic pacing was interrupted by the sound of raucous laughter floating down the hallway to her ears. She steeled herself mentally, thinking it was time for another visit from Link's darker half, but soon realized that the laughter didn't belong to that monster. There were two distinct sets of laughter that accompanied the footsteps that were approaching the cell door.
A laugh. "How much?" a voice asked.
"Fifty," the second voice said, sounding the tiniest bit petulant.
"Is that it?" the first voice, sounding kind of raspy, replied.
"Yeah," Whiny affirmed. "I bet off a flat rate…" he mumbled.
"That was the stupid thing," Raspy said.
"Oh yeah? How much did you get off her?"
"Hundred and sixty-five," Raspy said proudly.
The voices drew nearer. "Yeah?" Whiny gasped.
"Right."
"How?"
"I went five rupees for every ten minutes she lasted under that. I would have had twenty more, but she passed out thirty-three minutes into it."
Whiny burst out laughing uncontrollably. "Man, those Gerudos sure can take a beating," he said callously.
Zelda went cold as she realized what the two men spoke of, and she started to shake as cold anger flowed through her, freezing her mind and making her fists clench. She gritted her teeth as the voices got to the door, standing with a dark scowl upon her face.
The door swung loudly open, and the two men continued to laugh as they dragged an unconscious figure into the cell. Kitara hung loosely from the arms of the two men, her head swinging from side to side with each bump.
The first caught sight of Zelda's fierce, burning gaze, and the smile died from his face as he looked away, reddening with shame. The second soon followed suit, and they mutely transported Kitara to the flat metal bunk, depositing her on it. She moaned faintly as she lay there.
Without a word, the pair left, shutting and locking the door behind them. After the pair had gone, Zelda did her best to bottle her rage and hurried over to the unconscious Gerudo. Kitara's breathing was shallow and labored, and a sheen of sweat covered her, making her seem to glisten in the dim light. There were marks along her shoulders that almost looked like burns, and Zelda's face went hard. As best she could, she hefted the Gerudo warrior onto the cell's flat bunk. Kitara moaned and stirred at the slight movement, and then remained still. Zelda frowned. She placed a hand on either side of Kitara's head and closed her eyes, concentrating on the injuries.
Slowly, a bluish light started to grow, surrounding Kitara and seeming to absorb into her very being. It lasted for several minutes. Finally, it faded, and Zelda slumped wearily to the ground, holding onto the side of the bunk to keep from falling over. She sat down next to the bunk, realizing that Kitara's breathing was a lot less shallow. She smiled, knowing that there was nothing to be done now. Except to wait.
As she sat there, the most peculiar sensation began to form inside her mind and heart. She frowned, looking around. There was no one in the room beside Kitara and herself, and yet, there was a distinct sense of a presence there, something frighteningly familiar, and yet at the same time, exhilarating. She thought for a moment, her eyes closed, and then, suddenly, it happened.
She knew. As her eyes filled with tears, Zelda finally recognized the presence that now filled the month-old hole in her heart.
Link was back.
The Legendary Hero of Time had come home.