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
16
"I want you three to stay out of the way in here," Link warned. "This is going to get ugly and I don't want you hurt. Kiron, watch out for them."
The general that had watched Link's back for so many years and been his friend for so many more nodded. "They'll be safe, boy. Don't you worry. Just keep your own arse out of the fire."
Link grimaced. "I'll do my best. Are we all ready?"
"As we'll ever be," John replied grimly.
"Link, be careful," Kate pled quietly. There was fear in her green eyes. Something inside her was dark, as though she could see the future forming, and it wasn't pleasant.
"I will, Kate, I promise." And he turned, placing one hand against the large double door that swung open on noiseless iron hinges.
Inside the room was pitch black. The only light cast on the place was a dim reddish glow from the angry skies above, reflecting off the fiery, agitated halo cloud above Death Mountain. It was said that when the clouds were as fire, then the land was in peril. If the halo of clouds was calm, so was the land.
The eerie pall cast into the room with the huge stained glass windows was anything but calm. Link stepped through, his skin taking on a pallid, bloody cast that made him look as though he were walking dead. Across the huge room stood an imposing figure in ornate leather and a swirling, black cape with blood red lining. "You took too long, boy," a low growl of a voice said. "I was beginning to wonder if you'd lost your edge."
Link stepped into the center of the room, the Master Sword slipping from its sheath with a challenge of hissing steel. The blade sang when Link flicked it with one finger. His blue, stony eyes remained trained on his adversary's back, the humming sword's ring echoing and fading slowly away.
It was enough. The dark-skinned figure with the fiery hair turned, revealing angular, golden eyes set deep in a chiseled, harsh face that seemed crafted perfectly to evil. One hand reached beneath the cloak, withdrawing an unsheathed blade that seemed to radiate darkness in the same way that the Master Sword bore its own light. It twisted the air around it until it was as malformed and warped as the iron blade itself. It was pure evil.
Kate swallowed from the shadowed corner where she, John, and Kiron hid in the shadows of one of the room's badly lit corners, seeming to know somehow that this could not, would not end well.
The demon that could only have been Ganondorf raised the blade and charged the youth. Link met the blow with his own blade, sparks flying as cold iron met fiery steel, the echo of the ringing blades causing ears to ring in return.
The duel that ensued was bloody and gruesome, much as Link's duel with his own darker half had been; only Ganondorf was far more ruthless. He fought with no honor, no code, no ethics. He struck where he could and when he could, sending the Hylian youth to his knees or to the ground many a time. Link found himself tiring more quickly than he thought he would, and retreated on several occasions so that the Healers that had accompanied him could work their magic and make him whole again. But one could only lose so much energy before one really started to show it.
"You brought your little friends along to see the show, did you?" Ganondorf sneered, one booted foot coming up to strike Link solidly in the chest.
"What can I say," he rasped, wheezing as the wind was knocked from his lungs, "I wanted an audience for when I slit your throat." And he lunged at the King of Evil, Master Sword swinging in an arc that, had it connected, would have cleaved Ganondorf in two at the waist.
The Gerudo thief, however, was not so easily caught. He brought the iron blade down, both blocking Link's thrust and creating his own strike all at once. Link caught a vicious blow to the shoulder and swore, backing up a few steps as Ganondorf advanced again. "You shouldn't have done it," he said, glancing off into the shadows to where the trio stood concealed.
And even as Kate heard the evil man speak, she knew. It was over…
Link's eyes widened when he saw the ball of darkened energy headed straight for that corner. "RUN!" he roared, even as he dropped the Master Sword and turned, running like hell to try and get them out of the way in time.
Kate, John, and Kiron stood in openmouthed, wide-eyed shock as the Hylian youth took the ball of darkness in both hands and forced it off to the side. He hit the ground and rolled to a stop, pushing himself up onto elbows and knees as Ganondorf laughed coldly. Link's hands were badly burned, and the skin was already starting to crack and peel, blisters forming from the malevolent blast. He swore softly, wincing. Even moving his fingers was sheer agony. Kate frowned. There was no way he could hold a sword. "Come here," she ordered. He raised a brow at her but did as he was instructed, and watched in fascination as she ripped off slices of fabric from the bottom of her own shirt and John's, using them to bandage his hands as best she could after applying some salve she'd managed to save when they'd left their bags behind. "That should help the pain long enough for you to finish this," she said quietly. "Now get back in there and take the bastard's head off."
Link smiled, wrapped his arms around her, and gave her a grateful hug. "No matter what happens, I owe you two everything. Thank you." And he shook John's hand, then giving Kiron a proud salute.
The Legendary Hero dove back into the fight, narrowly missing being cut in twain by the huge iron blade, and rolled to his feet, Master Sword in hand once more. "Nice move," Ganondorf said mockingly, "but you can't protect them and keep yourself alive. Today is your day, and I'm going to send you screaming back to those Goddesses you love so much!"
Link stepped to the side to avoid a huge blow, but at the same time a blast of dark energy hit the ground where his foot landed, knocking him off balance and sending him sprawling. His forehead hit the stone floor hard when he rolled to a stop, and he lay dazed and disoriented, the Master Sword having clattered far out of hand's reach. Even as he lunged for it, one of Ganondorf's booted feet caught him in the stomach and sent him sprawling on his stomach once more, coughing and fighting for air. He was sure that something had been broken with that kick, he mused even as consciousness began to flee.
"Link, get up, GET UP!" Kate screeched desperately. John had to hold her back to keep her from running to his side to defend him. The Hylian stirred briefly, but lacked the strength to get to his feet after the beating he'd sustained. He simply had no energy left. And the Healers were no use in such close proximity to Ganondorf. He would have obliterated them had they shown themselves.
The Gerudo King stood triumphantly over his nemesis, iron blade held at the ready. "You know," he said coldly, "I don't suppose you'd think I'd be the type to stab a man in the back." After repeating Link's words to him on Death Mountain that month before, the King of Evil laughed harshly. "Oh, who am I kidding?!" he asked, still roaring with laughter, "I'm exactly the kind of man to stab someone in the back!"
He reversed the blade, and brought it down straight through the heart of the Hero of Time. It went through the boy as though he were butter and cleaved the stone beneath him, sending a spider's web of cracks out beneath the frail body.
Link didn't even have time to scream before the darkness swallowed him up, his eyes going glassy and lifeless as soul and spirit fled.
"No! Oh, no, Link, no, no, NO!" a tiny voice cried, and a little winged ball of glowing, blue-white light flittered right through the wall and zoomed down, clinging to him while tiny hands tried to shake him as though the boy were sleeping. The struggle soon ceased, and the faerie gave up, instead flittering down by his face to place a tiny pixie kiss of farewell to the tip of the Hero's nose, and then she reached up and gently closed his eyes before collapsing against him to sob.
"NO!" Kate and John and Kiron screeched together. Once more, John was forced to hold his lady back from her own destruction. She struggled uselessly against his grip and then collapsed to sob brokenly against his chest. The only hope for an adopted world she was growing to love…was gone.
The Hero of Time was dead.
~~~~~
A/N: BUAHAHAHAHA. Bet you didn't see that coming. I'd like to thank everyone who reviewed this fic for me so far, the encouragement has been awesome! I'm really glad people are enjoying this! ^.^3 And don't worry, it doesn't end here, but I've been really busy lately, and you're all going to have to live with the cliffhanger for a few days until I can get some other business wrapped up with my other websites and art/fiction accounts. So please bear with me, and I promise I'll have the conclusion of Act IV up as soon as possible. And then we're on the home stretch; Act V is the last one, I promise. And we'll all have something to celebrate at the after-party for cast and crew. *Grins* Thanks again, everyone, I appreciate it! Look forward to more soon!!!
-Act IV-
Convergence
16
"I want you three to stay out of the way in here," Link warned. "This is going to get ugly and I don't want you hurt. Kiron, watch out for them."
The general that had watched Link's back for so many years and been his friend for so many more nodded. "They'll be safe, boy. Don't you worry. Just keep your own arse out of the fire."
Link grimaced. "I'll do my best. Are we all ready?"
"As we'll ever be," John replied grimly.
"Link, be careful," Kate pled quietly. There was fear in her green eyes. Something inside her was dark, as though she could see the future forming, and it wasn't pleasant.
"I will, Kate, I promise." And he turned, placing one hand against the large double door that swung open on noiseless iron hinges.
Inside the room was pitch black. The only light cast on the place was a dim reddish glow from the angry skies above, reflecting off the fiery, agitated halo cloud above Death Mountain. It was said that when the clouds were as fire, then the land was in peril. If the halo of clouds was calm, so was the land.
The eerie pall cast into the room with the huge stained glass windows was anything but calm. Link stepped through, his skin taking on a pallid, bloody cast that made him look as though he were walking dead. Across the huge room stood an imposing figure in ornate leather and a swirling, black cape with blood red lining. "You took too long, boy," a low growl of a voice said. "I was beginning to wonder if you'd lost your edge."
Link stepped into the center of the room, the Master Sword slipping from its sheath with a challenge of hissing steel. The blade sang when Link flicked it with one finger. His blue, stony eyes remained trained on his adversary's back, the humming sword's ring echoing and fading slowly away.
It was enough. The dark-skinned figure with the fiery hair turned, revealing angular, golden eyes set deep in a chiseled, harsh face that seemed crafted perfectly to evil. One hand reached beneath the cloak, withdrawing an unsheathed blade that seemed to radiate darkness in the same way that the Master Sword bore its own light. It twisted the air around it until it was as malformed and warped as the iron blade itself. It was pure evil.
Kate swallowed from the shadowed corner where she, John, and Kiron hid in the shadows of one of the room's badly lit corners, seeming to know somehow that this could not, would not end well.
The demon that could only have been Ganondorf raised the blade and charged the youth. Link met the blow with his own blade, sparks flying as cold iron met fiery steel, the echo of the ringing blades causing ears to ring in return.
The duel that ensued was bloody and gruesome, much as Link's duel with his own darker half had been; only Ganondorf was far more ruthless. He fought with no honor, no code, no ethics. He struck where he could and when he could, sending the Hylian youth to his knees or to the ground many a time. Link found himself tiring more quickly than he thought he would, and retreated on several occasions so that the Healers that had accompanied him could work their magic and make him whole again. But one could only lose so much energy before one really started to show it.
"You brought your little friends along to see the show, did you?" Ganondorf sneered, one booted foot coming up to strike Link solidly in the chest.
"What can I say," he rasped, wheezing as the wind was knocked from his lungs, "I wanted an audience for when I slit your throat." And he lunged at the King of Evil, Master Sword swinging in an arc that, had it connected, would have cleaved Ganondorf in two at the waist.
The Gerudo thief, however, was not so easily caught. He brought the iron blade down, both blocking Link's thrust and creating his own strike all at once. Link caught a vicious blow to the shoulder and swore, backing up a few steps as Ganondorf advanced again. "You shouldn't have done it," he said, glancing off into the shadows to where the trio stood concealed.
And even as Kate heard the evil man speak, she knew. It was over…
Link's eyes widened when he saw the ball of darkened energy headed straight for that corner. "RUN!" he roared, even as he dropped the Master Sword and turned, running like hell to try and get them out of the way in time.
Kate, John, and Kiron stood in openmouthed, wide-eyed shock as the Hylian youth took the ball of darkness in both hands and forced it off to the side. He hit the ground and rolled to a stop, pushing himself up onto elbows and knees as Ganondorf laughed coldly. Link's hands were badly burned, and the skin was already starting to crack and peel, blisters forming from the malevolent blast. He swore softly, wincing. Even moving his fingers was sheer agony. Kate frowned. There was no way he could hold a sword. "Come here," she ordered. He raised a brow at her but did as he was instructed, and watched in fascination as she ripped off slices of fabric from the bottom of her own shirt and John's, using them to bandage his hands as best she could after applying some salve she'd managed to save when they'd left their bags behind. "That should help the pain long enough for you to finish this," she said quietly. "Now get back in there and take the bastard's head off."
Link smiled, wrapped his arms around her, and gave her a grateful hug. "No matter what happens, I owe you two everything. Thank you." And he shook John's hand, then giving Kiron a proud salute.
The Legendary Hero dove back into the fight, narrowly missing being cut in twain by the huge iron blade, and rolled to his feet, Master Sword in hand once more. "Nice move," Ganondorf said mockingly, "but you can't protect them and keep yourself alive. Today is your day, and I'm going to send you screaming back to those Goddesses you love so much!"
Link stepped to the side to avoid a huge blow, but at the same time a blast of dark energy hit the ground where his foot landed, knocking him off balance and sending him sprawling. His forehead hit the stone floor hard when he rolled to a stop, and he lay dazed and disoriented, the Master Sword having clattered far out of hand's reach. Even as he lunged for it, one of Ganondorf's booted feet caught him in the stomach and sent him sprawling on his stomach once more, coughing and fighting for air. He was sure that something had been broken with that kick, he mused even as consciousness began to flee.
"Link, get up, GET UP!" Kate screeched desperately. John had to hold her back to keep her from running to his side to defend him. The Hylian stirred briefly, but lacked the strength to get to his feet after the beating he'd sustained. He simply had no energy left. And the Healers were no use in such close proximity to Ganondorf. He would have obliterated them had they shown themselves.
The Gerudo King stood triumphantly over his nemesis, iron blade held at the ready. "You know," he said coldly, "I don't suppose you'd think I'd be the type to stab a man in the back." After repeating Link's words to him on Death Mountain that month before, the King of Evil laughed harshly. "Oh, who am I kidding?!" he asked, still roaring with laughter, "I'm exactly the kind of man to stab someone in the back!"
He reversed the blade, and brought it down straight through the heart of the Hero of Time. It went through the boy as though he were butter and cleaved the stone beneath him, sending a spider's web of cracks out beneath the frail body.
Link didn't even have time to scream before the darkness swallowed him up, his eyes going glassy and lifeless as soul and spirit fled.
"No! Oh, no, Link, no, no, NO!" a tiny voice cried, and a little winged ball of glowing, blue-white light flittered right through the wall and zoomed down, clinging to him while tiny hands tried to shake him as though the boy were sleeping. The struggle soon ceased, and the faerie gave up, instead flittering down by his face to place a tiny pixie kiss of farewell to the tip of the Hero's nose, and then she reached up and gently closed his eyes before collapsing against him to sob.
"NO!" Kate and John and Kiron screeched together. Once more, John was forced to hold his lady back from her own destruction. She struggled uselessly against his grip and then collapsed to sob brokenly against his chest. The only hope for an adopted world she was growing to love…was gone.
The Hero of Time was dead.
~~~~~
A/N: BUAHAHAHAHA. Bet you didn't see that coming. I'd like to thank everyone who reviewed this fic for me so far, the encouragement has been awesome! I'm really glad people are enjoying this! ^.^3 And don't worry, it doesn't end here, but I've been really busy lately, and you're all going to have to live with the cliffhanger for a few days until I can get some other business wrapped up with my other websites and art/fiction accounts. So please bear with me, and I promise I'll have the conclusion of Act IV up as soon as possible. And then we're on the home stretch; Act V is the last one, I promise. And we'll all have something to celebrate at the after-party for cast and crew. *Grins* Thanks again, everyone, I appreciate it! Look forward to more soon!!!