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

10

"Excuse me, sir?"

Link turned when someone tapped his shoulder. His hands flew to the soldiers throat when he saw the face of the man who had addressed him, slamming the unfortunate lieutenant against the wall.

He squeaked as the flow of air through his throat was cut off.

Link glared furiously at him. "You're supposed to be dead," he said, punctuating the last with an extra slam against the wall of the dungeon. "I saw you die! You almost got me killed, you lying traitor!"

Kiron took a hesitant step forward, unsure if he should step in.

Link turned his burning eyes to his old friend. "Do not interfere," he snapped. "this…scum," he spat, "nearly got me killed on death Mountain, and is probably the reason Ganondorf's followers managed to get Zelda out of the palace in the first place. Only thing is," he turned back to the terrified soldier in his iron grip, "I can't figure out what you're doing here. Alive," he added, his tone forecasting disaster for the unfortunate man. His captive tried to squeak out an answer. Link shook his head. "No explanation is good enough for betrayal. Did you plant that note, Joreth?"

One could almost have seen the light bulb going off above the young man's head, and his face lost all traces of his fear. He tried to speak again and then gestured toward Link's hands around his throat.

His face was turning blue.

"Link, he can't very well talk, let alone breathe if you keep squeezing his neck like that," John said quietly.

Link eased his grip on the young soldier's throat just barely, and some of the color began to return to his face. "If you please, m'Lord," he said hesitantly, my name isn't Joreth, sir."

Link stared at him, scowling quizzically, not taking anything on faith. Yet. "It isn't? But-"

"He's my twin brother, sir," he said apologetically. "My name is Akana. Lieutenant, first class."

Link nodded through narrowed eyes. "Do you know your brother's whereabouts?"

Akana shook his head. "He's been missing for about as long as you've been on hiatus, plus a week or so. He hasn't been seen or heard from by either our parents or friends, sir. Do you know where he is?"

Link nodded grimly. "At the bottom of the caverns at Spectacle Rock," he said in a stone-hard voice. "And that's where he's going to stay, the filthy turncoat."

Akana paled. "He didn't…" he murmured.

Link nodded. "I'm starting to believe that he manufactured that 'desperate note' from the princess, too," he added.

"Queen," Kiron corrected.

"What?" Link asked blankly.

"She's Queen, now," Kiron repeated. "Or, at least should be. Ol' Pigface slaughtered the king right in front of her. Made her watch. I was there, too."

Link's scowl deepened into rage. "That monster," he growled. "After all he's put her through…"

Kiron nodded. "So what are you going to do about it?"

Link reached back over his shoulder and drew the mighty broadsword from its sheath. The burnished steel of the Master Sword glowed in the dim torchlight, almost radiating a dreadful eagerness of its own. It wanted to once more taste evil falling beneath its blade. A dreadful, cold smile crossed the face of the Hero of Time. "What do you think?" he asked, running a finger down the length of the blade.

Kiron nodded. "Good," he said. "It's about time somebody put him down. For good." He straightened his armor. "And I'm going with you."

Link shook his head. "What? Oh, no you're not," he argued. "I need you to take your men and make distractions outside the castle to draw all the Gerudo guards away. I can't even think about getting in the main tower with all of them in there."

"'Fraid of a few girls, old friend?" Kiron challenged.

"Not a chance," Link replied, "but I like to have a bit of insurance. You have to take them and storm the castle. Then we sneak in the back."

Kiron shook his head. "Miss all the fun? You're just cruel. Send Akana. The other soldiers like him. He's a good leader."

Akana, however, had choked on Kiron's fateful two words. "Me?" he blurted. "Why me?" He thought about it. "Uh, sir."

"Because you can hack it," he said bluntly. "If we're going to be separating our forces, I want someone in charge who can take the pressure. I saw how you carried things back there in the dungeon and even back in the raid we pulled on the throne room."

Link made a strangled noise. "You did what?" he asked.

Kiron sighed. "I'm afraid so. It didn't go so well, either."

Akana laughed, bringing one hand up to his newly re-located shoulder, still sore from where Taran had been forced to jam it physically back into the socket. "He's not kidding, m'Lord. Your crazy friend here-no offense, sir-"

"None taken," Kiron said placidly.

"Decided that he was going to take Ganondorf out of the running execution style."

The look Link was giving Kiron spoke volumes.

Kiron started trying to explain. "It would have worked," he protested. "Well, maybe. You know he deserves it," he finished lamely.

Link just shook his head. "You know better than to try something like that, Kiron," he said quietly.

Kiron sighed, nodding. "And I've got the broken ribs to prove it."

"How many?"

"Four."

"Ouch. Maybe you should come with me."

Before Kiron could ask why, Link continued. "We need to hightail it to the castle armory so I can get at least some small amount of defensive equipment for these two. And they're going to need a little bit of cover while I'm busy."

Kiron nodded. "Bodyguard."

"Exactly. What's your rank again, General?" Link asked Akana.

"Lieutenant," Akana started to reply, and then stopped, his brain catching up with what Link had called him. "Are you promoting me, sir?" he asked, his eyes wide.

"Does Kiron think you've earned it?" Link asked.

Kiron nodded. "Yes indeed. During the time you've been gone, he's been quite a good second."

Akana grinned stupidly.

Valik poked him in the arm. "Congratulations, kid. I mean, sir kid," he grinned.

"Thanks," Akana replied, a bit dazed.

Link grinned. "Don't let anybody push you around, either." He turned back to Kiron. "Can they do what needs to be done?"

Kiron nodded. "They'll be fine. Let's go find your princess."