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 IV-
Convergence
1
Link dismounted, sliding from Epona's saddle as he looked around the interior of LonLon Ranch's grounds. The silence was almost eerie.
No. Take that back.
It was eerie.
He took hold of the reins, leading the horse further onto the grounds of her former home. Link looked carefully around the ranch's large field, his scowl deepening. There was no one in sight. Not a single, solitary living thing could be seen anywhere. Epona, seeming to sense his distress, whinnied impatiently, tossing her head as her dark eyes rolled, emphasizing her unease. He turned and patted her neck, trying to comfort her. "You don't like this much, do you?" he asked quietly, almost unwilling to break the strange quiet that now inhabited the ranch. He laughed, rather wryly. "That makes two of us."
He led her out into the corral. "Hello?" he called, hoping to get some answer.
Any answer.
Not a sound came back to his ears, not even an echo of his own call. Link frowned again, looking around. There wasn't even a stray Cucco bouncing aimlessly about the place. That in itself was disturbing, because Talon almost never went anywhere without his three little "Super Cuccos", bred especially for larger eggs. Link couldn't even see a feather.
He shrugged and left Epona in the corral, ambling his way back to the ranch house and stable. He walked in the stable first, and to his relief, found the cows where they should be, but only two horses out of the four they'd had at his last visit. From there, he wandered over to the house and turned the knob. Not quite surprised that it was unlocked-Talon's door was rarely locked-Link pushed the door open and let himself in. "Hello?" he said again. "Anybody here?"
The response was immediate, and came in the form of an almost painful pressure against the middle of his back and a constricting arm around his neck. Link jumped, and his hands shot instantly into the air. "Whoa, take it easy!" he said quickly. "I'm unarmed."
The pressure eased a bit, and that was when the Hero of Time made his move. In a lightning-fast motion, Link grabbed hold of the arm at his throat and pulled hard, bending at his waist. His attacker went flying over his head to land with a crash against the table in the center of the room.
His assailant was thin and a little short, and was also wearing a hooded tunic and black mask. Link didn't have much time to relax, because his attacker quickly stood and lunged at him again, the knife flashing as it came for his throat. Link jumped back out of the way, and clutched at the hand holding the knife. Determined and a bit angry at having his life threatened, Link repeatedly slammed the fist holding the knife into the wall. Eventually, pain overcame the need to hold on, and knife dropped from his assailant's hand. Instead, his attacker swung a hard left hook at Link's head. He was only able to dodge partway, enough to redirect the blow onto his shoulder. He winced, but kept holding the assailant's other hand.
Seeing the futility of swinging wildly, his attacker went for his throat. A strong grip on his neck, Link's attacker got both hands firmly around his throat when he let go of the stranger's other hand to attempt prying the hands away. He gasped as his assailant started to squeeze, and began clawing more desperately at his assailant's hands.
Finally, he stopped clawing at the hands around his neck and started pushing against the stranger's shoulders. Together, they staggered around the interior of the ranch house, knocking over milk cans and shattering pitchers as they continued their fatal dance.
Link swung upward with one foot and booted his assailant in the stomach. The stranger let go with a convulsive shudder at the impact, coughing hoarsely. Link wasted no time in swinging a hard fist at his assailant's face. The masked stranger dodged the swing, and once more, wrapped his (then again, Link wasn't so sure it was a 'he') hands around Link's throat. Link went for his attacker's throat, and locked together, they stumbled and staggered up the stairs to the second floor landing. They twisted and turned, and finally, the stranger gave Link a good push, shoving him crashing through the door to the second floor bedroom. Link didn't loosen his grip on his assailant, and together, they moved jerkily back out onto the landing.
Then, something struck him in the back of the head.
Hard.
He gasped involuntarily as intense pain shot through his back and neck. His arms loosened their hold on his assailant. Stubbornly, Link held on, even when his attacker swung him out over the landing. The only thing keeping Link from falling to land on his back on the first floor was his tenuous hold on his attacker's throat. Realizing that he would probably take the stranger with him, his attacker pulled him up from the ledge, where the second aggressor hit him over the head again. Dazed, Link's arms dropped away from his attacker's neck, and he stumbled toward the landing. A third blow to the head sent him reeling, and he tumbled off of the balcony, flipping head over heels to land on his back on the hard wooden floor. Link's head snapped back and hit the floor, and then everything went black.
-Act IV-
Convergence
1
Link dismounted, sliding from Epona's saddle as he looked around the interior of LonLon Ranch's grounds. The silence was almost eerie.
No. Take that back.
It was eerie.
He took hold of the reins, leading the horse further onto the grounds of her former home. Link looked carefully around the ranch's large field, his scowl deepening. There was no one in sight. Not a single, solitary living thing could be seen anywhere. Epona, seeming to sense his distress, whinnied impatiently, tossing her head as her dark eyes rolled, emphasizing her unease. He turned and patted her neck, trying to comfort her. "You don't like this much, do you?" he asked quietly, almost unwilling to break the strange quiet that now inhabited the ranch. He laughed, rather wryly. "That makes two of us."
He led her out into the corral. "Hello?" he called, hoping to get some answer.
Any answer.
Not a sound came back to his ears, not even an echo of his own call. Link frowned again, looking around. There wasn't even a stray Cucco bouncing aimlessly about the place. That in itself was disturbing, because Talon almost never went anywhere without his three little "Super Cuccos", bred especially for larger eggs. Link couldn't even see a feather.
He shrugged and left Epona in the corral, ambling his way back to the ranch house and stable. He walked in the stable first, and to his relief, found the cows where they should be, but only two horses out of the four they'd had at his last visit. From there, he wandered over to the house and turned the knob. Not quite surprised that it was unlocked-Talon's door was rarely locked-Link pushed the door open and let himself in. "Hello?" he said again. "Anybody here?"
The response was immediate, and came in the form of an almost painful pressure against the middle of his back and a constricting arm around his neck. Link jumped, and his hands shot instantly into the air. "Whoa, take it easy!" he said quickly. "I'm unarmed."
The pressure eased a bit, and that was when the Hero of Time made his move. In a lightning-fast motion, Link grabbed hold of the arm at his throat and pulled hard, bending at his waist. His attacker went flying over his head to land with a crash against the table in the center of the room.
His assailant was thin and a little short, and was also wearing a hooded tunic and black mask. Link didn't have much time to relax, because his attacker quickly stood and lunged at him again, the knife flashing as it came for his throat. Link jumped back out of the way, and clutched at the hand holding the knife. Determined and a bit angry at having his life threatened, Link repeatedly slammed the fist holding the knife into the wall. Eventually, pain overcame the need to hold on, and knife dropped from his assailant's hand. Instead, his attacker swung a hard left hook at Link's head. He was only able to dodge partway, enough to redirect the blow onto his shoulder. He winced, but kept holding the assailant's other hand.
Seeing the futility of swinging wildly, his attacker went for his throat. A strong grip on his neck, Link's attacker got both hands firmly around his throat when he let go of the stranger's other hand to attempt prying the hands away. He gasped as his assailant started to squeeze, and began clawing more desperately at his assailant's hands.
Finally, he stopped clawing at the hands around his neck and started pushing against the stranger's shoulders. Together, they staggered around the interior of the ranch house, knocking over milk cans and shattering pitchers as they continued their fatal dance.
Link swung upward with one foot and booted his assailant in the stomach. The stranger let go with a convulsive shudder at the impact, coughing hoarsely. Link wasted no time in swinging a hard fist at his assailant's face. The masked stranger dodged the swing, and once more, wrapped his (then again, Link wasn't so sure it was a 'he') hands around Link's throat. Link went for his attacker's throat, and locked together, they stumbled and staggered up the stairs to the second floor landing. They twisted and turned, and finally, the stranger gave Link a good push, shoving him crashing through the door to the second floor bedroom. Link didn't loosen his grip on his assailant, and together, they moved jerkily back out onto the landing.
Then, something struck him in the back of the head.
Hard.
He gasped involuntarily as intense pain shot through his back and neck. His arms loosened their hold on his assailant. Stubbornly, Link held on, even when his attacker swung him out over the landing. The only thing keeping Link from falling to land on his back on the first floor was his tenuous hold on his attacker's throat. Realizing that he would probably take the stranger with him, his attacker pulled him up from the ledge, where the second aggressor hit him over the head again. Dazed, Link's arms dropped away from his attacker's neck, and he stumbled toward the landing. A third blow to the head sent him reeling, and he tumbled off of the balcony, flipping head over heels to land on his back on the hard wooden floor. Link's head snapped back and hit the floor, and then everything went black.