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
7
"What happened to this place?" Kate whispered in abject horror at the scene before her.
Hyrule Castle Town was nothing more than charred ruins. Where once before children had run, laughing and playing while contented parents and their fellow townspeople conversed and went about their business in peaceful happiness, lonely wind spread a blanket of solemn silence over the cracked, dirty cobblestone of the village square. "Ganondorf," Link replied grimly. The fountain, which had once sputtered cheerfully in the center of the village square, was now a pile of charred marble bits, the ground dark around it where the water spilled carelessly out onto the ground. Kate noted Link's fists, clenching and unclenching in an attempt to control his anger. "He's done it again," Link said, his voice dreadfully quiet. There was an ominous note in his tone, one that promised retribution and would stop at nothing less.
"He did it before?" John asked in shock.
Link nodded. "Once, years ago. I thought he would have learned not to screw with these people, but…" he shrugged, adjusting the shield on his back. "Some lessons have to be learned the hard way. Let's go. And watch out for shambling, half-human things. They like eating people for some reason."
Kate shuddered. "You mean like those?" she asked, pointing at four shambling creatures that were moaning disturbingly and headed slowly their way.
"Ah, hell," Link growled. "Run!"
Kate nodded and dashed forward, tripping and sprawling head over heels as her foot caught on a chunk of marble in her path. "Ouch!" she said, rubbing her ankle. She stood up-and looked one of the monstrosities right in the face.
Its eerie glare, combined with that strange moan, froze her where she stood.
It shambled a step closer. Somehow, Kate seemed stuck by its chilling stare. It pierced her to the bone. "Oh, damn," she muttered.
John was in the same predicament as his friend, for he had run smack into a group of the things, which were now closing in on him and slowly surrounding the paralyzed Californian.
Link, after shredding a large group of them, heard a chilling sound. The shrill, horrible shriek that was the ReDead's killing song. He turned. Sighing, he made his way over to John, who was getting increasingly unnerved as they shambled closer and closer. Careful not to look any of the shambling things in the eyes, Link shook his head reproachfully. "I can't take you two anywhere, can I?" he asked.
"Ha, ha. Could you please do something about this?" John asked. "We can all laugh about this later-after I've taken a long bath."
"Yes, Link," Kate said, her voice pained. "Please-kill something, would you? It's your job, isn't it?"
Link shook his head once more and went to work, grimly hacking the corpse-like monsters into little bits which shriveled and blew away as he finished his job. "Let's get moving before any more of those things find out that their friends aren't coming back," Link said. "And this time, don't look at anything until you're absolutely positive it won't try to eat you."
Kate shuddered. "Is anyone else as creeped out by this as I am?" she asked.
Link nodded, returning his sword to its sheath. "Always have been. Come on!"
-Act IV-
Convergence
7
"What happened to this place?" Kate whispered in abject horror at the scene before her.
Hyrule Castle Town was nothing more than charred ruins. Where once before children had run, laughing and playing while contented parents and their fellow townspeople conversed and went about their business in peaceful happiness, lonely wind spread a blanket of solemn silence over the cracked, dirty cobblestone of the village square. "Ganondorf," Link replied grimly. The fountain, which had once sputtered cheerfully in the center of the village square, was now a pile of charred marble bits, the ground dark around it where the water spilled carelessly out onto the ground. Kate noted Link's fists, clenching and unclenching in an attempt to control his anger. "He's done it again," Link said, his voice dreadfully quiet. There was an ominous note in his tone, one that promised retribution and would stop at nothing less.
"He did it before?" John asked in shock.
Link nodded. "Once, years ago. I thought he would have learned not to screw with these people, but…" he shrugged, adjusting the shield on his back. "Some lessons have to be learned the hard way. Let's go. And watch out for shambling, half-human things. They like eating people for some reason."
Kate shuddered. "You mean like those?" she asked, pointing at four shambling creatures that were moaning disturbingly and headed slowly their way.
"Ah, hell," Link growled. "Run!"
Kate nodded and dashed forward, tripping and sprawling head over heels as her foot caught on a chunk of marble in her path. "Ouch!" she said, rubbing her ankle. She stood up-and looked one of the monstrosities right in the face.
Its eerie glare, combined with that strange moan, froze her where she stood.
It shambled a step closer. Somehow, Kate seemed stuck by its chilling stare. It pierced her to the bone. "Oh, damn," she muttered.
John was in the same predicament as his friend, for he had run smack into a group of the things, which were now closing in on him and slowly surrounding the paralyzed Californian.
Link, after shredding a large group of them, heard a chilling sound. The shrill, horrible shriek that was the ReDead's killing song. He turned. Sighing, he made his way over to John, who was getting increasingly unnerved as they shambled closer and closer. Careful not to look any of the shambling things in the eyes, Link shook his head reproachfully. "I can't take you two anywhere, can I?" he asked.
"Ha, ha. Could you please do something about this?" John asked. "We can all laugh about this later-after I've taken a long bath."
"Yes, Link," Kate said, her voice pained. "Please-kill something, would you? It's your job, isn't it?"
Link shook his head once more and went to work, grimly hacking the corpse-like monsters into little bits which shriveled and blew away as he finished his job. "Let's get moving before any more of those things find out that their friends aren't coming back," Link said. "And this time, don't look at anything until you're absolutely positive it won't try to eat you."
Kate shuddered. "Is anyone else as creeped out by this as I am?" she asked.
Link nodded, returning his sword to its sheath. "Always have been. Come on!"