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
19
As a circle of sooty orange flame rose up around John, Kate, and Ganon, Kitara turned frantically to Kiron, who merely watched sadly as the Californians' escape was brutally, effectively cut off. "We have to help them!" Kitara cried.
"How?" Kiron asked hopelessly, the flames reflecting in his tired, empty eyes.
"Isn't there some way we can get through?" she persisted.
"Not unless you want to get fried," he retorted grimly. "Face it, Kitara. As much as it galls me to admit it, it's over." He stared up at the demonic monster as it chased the terrified pair around the all-too-small battleground. "He's won."
"Maybe not," the princess spoke.
Three heads - two Hylian, one fae - whipped around to stare at their monarch. Zelda had a strangely exultant look on her face, blue eyes burning with a new, wild hope. "Highness?" Kiron asked quizzically.
"Watch out for them," she directed. "I may have an idea." She closed her eyes.
"As you wish, Highness."
"What do we do now?" Kitara demanded urgently.
Kiron turned to regard her, his face now calm. "We wait."
-Chamber of the Sages-
"The Hero of Time has a small problem," Rauru, said calmly. The Sage of Light's eyes were closed as if he were viewing events on another plane of existence.
Which he was.
"Small problem?" Darunia rumbled. The Sage of Fire shook his head, a wry twist to his lips. "The boy's dead, Rauru!" The Sage's voice was quite unique; though it rumbled and seemed to shake the ground, it was never deafening, never loud or raucous. There were many who wondered how he did it.
"Oh, Link, no!" Saria cried. The Kokiri Sage of Forest's hands flew to her mouth, eyes wide in horror. A single tear rolled down her face.
"The Princess of Destiny seeks our aid," Impa noted. The Sage of Shadow seemed undisturbed about the entire affair.
Saria turned to the Sage of Light, eyes pleading. "Please, Rauru, intervene!" she begged desperately. "You can't let him die! He's too good to die like this! Please, Rauru, I beg you, save him!"
Rauru smiled kindly at the now-weeping Sage, and at Ruto and Nabooru, Sages of Water and Spirit, who had echoed Saria's vervent plea. "Of course the Sages will intervene," he murmured softly. "The Hero of Time is simply too important for the fate of Hyrule to let him go."
"But…he's dead," Darunia rumbled, confused. "What can we do?"
"Death is not an actual end. It's misplaced energy that has changed forms; for energy can never truly be destroyed." He turned his gentle gaze to Saria. "Are you prepared, girl?" he asked.
"Me? Why me?" she blurted.
Rauru smiled gently at her again. "Who better," he stated, "to save the life of one raised by the Kokiri, than the one who knows him best? Who better to delve into the workings of his innermost mind?"
Saria's cheeks tinged red. "I didn't think of that," she replied sheepishly.
Rauru laughed softly. "I thought you hadn't." He turned to the Sheikah woman. "Impa, go with her. And pay our respects to the Princess while you're there."
The Sage of Shadow bowed. "I will indeed," she promised.
Together, the two Sages flickered and vanished from the Chamber.
"Rauru?" Darunia asked after several long, silent moments.
"All will be well," replied the Sage of Light.
-Hyrule Castle Ruin-
"Katie!" John roared. "Look OUT!"
Ganon's huge tail swung out, catching Kate in the middle of her back and swinging her forward, slamming her into a granite pillar. She hit it so hard that the stone cracked with the impact. Kate slid to the ground and didn't move. John snarled out a curse and ran up to the demon, darting in between his huge legs to dash around and kick him solidly in the tail. The demon howled in pain, and while he was thus occupied, John swept the insensate woman up into his arms and made a dash for cover on the opposite side of the fire-encircled ring. Kate moaned and put one hand to her now-throbbing head before darkness claimed her and she passed out.
"I don't know what you guys are doing out there," he said, any thoughts of even finding the Master Sword now gone in the face of such hopeless odds, "but I hope you hurry it the hell up."
-Act IV-
Convergence
19
As a circle of sooty orange flame rose up around John, Kate, and Ganon, Kitara turned frantically to Kiron, who merely watched sadly as the Californians' escape was brutally, effectively cut off. "We have to help them!" Kitara cried.
"How?" Kiron asked hopelessly, the flames reflecting in his tired, empty eyes.
"Isn't there some way we can get through?" she persisted.
"Not unless you want to get fried," he retorted grimly. "Face it, Kitara. As much as it galls me to admit it, it's over." He stared up at the demonic monster as it chased the terrified pair around the all-too-small battleground. "He's won."
"Maybe not," the princess spoke.
Three heads - two Hylian, one fae - whipped around to stare at their monarch. Zelda had a strangely exultant look on her face, blue eyes burning with a new, wild hope. "Highness?" Kiron asked quizzically.
"Watch out for them," she directed. "I may have an idea." She closed her eyes.
"As you wish, Highness."
"What do we do now?" Kitara demanded urgently.
Kiron turned to regard her, his face now calm. "We wait."
-Chamber of the Sages-
"The Hero of Time has a small problem," Rauru, said calmly. The Sage of Light's eyes were closed as if he were viewing events on another plane of existence.
Which he was.
"Small problem?" Darunia rumbled. The Sage of Fire shook his head, a wry twist to his lips. "The boy's dead, Rauru!" The Sage's voice was quite unique; though it rumbled and seemed to shake the ground, it was never deafening, never loud or raucous. There were many who wondered how he did it.
"Oh, Link, no!" Saria cried. The Kokiri Sage of Forest's hands flew to her mouth, eyes wide in horror. A single tear rolled down her face.
"The Princess of Destiny seeks our aid," Impa noted. The Sage of Shadow seemed undisturbed about the entire affair.
Saria turned to the Sage of Light, eyes pleading. "Please, Rauru, intervene!" she begged desperately. "You can't let him die! He's too good to die like this! Please, Rauru, I beg you, save him!"
Rauru smiled kindly at the now-weeping Sage, and at Ruto and Nabooru, Sages of Water and Spirit, who had echoed Saria's vervent plea. "Of course the Sages will intervene," he murmured softly. "The Hero of Time is simply too important for the fate of Hyrule to let him go."
"But…he's dead," Darunia rumbled, confused. "What can we do?"
"Death is not an actual end. It's misplaced energy that has changed forms; for energy can never truly be destroyed." He turned his gentle gaze to Saria. "Are you prepared, girl?" he asked.
"Me? Why me?" she blurted.
Rauru smiled gently at her again. "Who better," he stated, "to save the life of one raised by the Kokiri, than the one who knows him best? Who better to delve into the workings of his innermost mind?"
Saria's cheeks tinged red. "I didn't think of that," she replied sheepishly.
Rauru laughed softly. "I thought you hadn't." He turned to the Sheikah woman. "Impa, go with her. And pay our respects to the Princess while you're there."
The Sage of Shadow bowed. "I will indeed," she promised.
Together, the two Sages flickered and vanished from the Chamber.
"Rauru?" Darunia asked after several long, silent moments.
"All will be well," replied the Sage of Light.
-Hyrule Castle Ruin-
"Katie!" John roared. "Look OUT!"
Ganon's huge tail swung out, catching Kate in the middle of her back and swinging her forward, slamming her into a granite pillar. She hit it so hard that the stone cracked with the impact. Kate slid to the ground and didn't move. John snarled out a curse and ran up to the demon, darting in between his huge legs to dash around and kick him solidly in the tail. The demon howled in pain, and while he was thus occupied, John swept the insensate woman up into his arms and made a dash for cover on the opposite side of the fire-encircled ring. Kate moaned and put one hand to her now-throbbing head before darkness claimed her and she passed out.
"I don't know what you guys are doing out there," he said, any thoughts of even finding the Master Sword now gone in the face of such hopeless odds, "but I hope you hurry it the hell up."