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
22
Saria's eyes opened, and she once more found herself on the broken plain. "He'll be back in a moment," she said. When she moved her hand away, the wound was gone. As was any trace or hint that he'd ever been wounded at all.
The small band watched breathlessly, eyes glued on the motionless figure. When his chest rose once in a sharp breath, the collective relief in the air was almost a tangible thing. Link opened his eyes and slowly pushed himself up onto his elbows, one arm coming up to rub at his forehead. "Coming back from the dead leaves one helluva headache," he growled.
Kiron and Kitara started laughing.
Link pushed himself all the way up, getting to his feet rather stiffly before he looked over at Saria and Impa. To Impa he cast a short, respectful bow, and to Saria…
He got down on his knees to give her a huge bear hug. "Thanks a lot, kid," he whispered in her ear. He stood, turning, and his clear blue eyes came to rest on Zelda's face, a soft smile gracing his own.
The joy she felt at his return was quickly squelched by the sudden memory of what he'd said to her on Death Mountain what seemed like an eternity ago. "Boy," she said, and though it was the name she'd called him since their youth, it was laced with cold, professional distance. "Welcome back," she said in that same frosty tone.
His face didn't change, the smile never faltering once. The sparkle slipped from his eyes, however, and the blue seemed now a little dead despite the life he now had.
"Where's the Master Sword?" he asked, turning to Kiron.
Kiron pointed into the ring of flame. "Your otherworlders decided to go inspect things and he trapped them…you might want to get in there and keep them from getting killed," he advised clinically, earning him a sharp elbow to the ribs from the Gerudo girl. He chuckled, rubbing his side. "Good to have you breathing," the general grinned.
Link nodded, smiling. "Good to be breathing," he retorted. He turned toward the ring of flame, eyes going stony. "Protect them," he ordered Kiron. "I'm gonna go get my sword back." With a roar of determination, the renewed Hero of Time leapt through the flames, the fire licking at his skin and clothes, and took off at a dead run toward the conflict at the other edge of the battlefield…where he could see a metallic, faint blue glimmer just waiting for him.
Impa watched the boy run, and then her crimson gaze slid slowly to her Princess. With almost casual, definitely deliberate slowness, she walked over, sat down beside the girl, and slapped her upside the head.
"Impa!" Zelda cried indignantly while Kiron and Kitara tried to stifle a laugh. "What the hell was that for?!"
Impa rapped her sharply again. "Watch your mouth," she growled.
Zelda glared at her.
Impa was unaffected. "What the hell is wrong with you?" she growled. "You did that on purpose."
Zelda turned away, eyes hardening. "You weren't there," she said softly.
"Oh, bugger that, girl. Let me guess…you refused to leave him and got hysterical when he tried to protect you before worrying about himself. Am I right?"
The Princess glared at her some more.
"And quit giving me the look," she said, now sitting cross-legged on the ground in front of Zelda. "It doesn't scare me and you should know that by now. Honestly…" she arched a brow. "I know you care about him, you foolish child," she said, prodding the tip of Zelda's nose. "And I know he cares about you. What could he have said that was so cruel?"
"He said that it was his duty to protect me. Nothing more," Zelda replied, the hurt evident in her clear voice. "Those were his words."
"Oh, bullshit," Impa said, her language and irritation so sudden that it took Zelda quite by surprise and knocked the wind from her indignant sails. "I can tell you for a fact that he only said it to get you to safety."
Saria spoke up when it looked as though the Princess would argue. "Highness, it's true…he loves you deeply. It was his worry and concern for you that convinced him to return to us, before anything. He wanted to protect you…and it wasn't duty talking."
Zelda's eyes went to the ground, angry tears forming. "He hurt me," she whispered.
"And now you've hurt him. You're even. And if you try anything like that again, I swear I'll kick your ass all the way to the Gerudo Fortress, royalty or no."
Zelda knew better than to argue. Impa never said anything she didn't mean. "Yes, ma'am," she whispered meekly.
-Act IV-
Convergence
22
Saria's eyes opened, and she once more found herself on the broken plain. "He'll be back in a moment," she said. When she moved her hand away, the wound was gone. As was any trace or hint that he'd ever been wounded at all.
The small band watched breathlessly, eyes glued on the motionless figure. When his chest rose once in a sharp breath, the collective relief in the air was almost a tangible thing. Link opened his eyes and slowly pushed himself up onto his elbows, one arm coming up to rub at his forehead. "Coming back from the dead leaves one helluva headache," he growled.
Kiron and Kitara started laughing.
Link pushed himself all the way up, getting to his feet rather stiffly before he looked over at Saria and Impa. To Impa he cast a short, respectful bow, and to Saria…
He got down on his knees to give her a huge bear hug. "Thanks a lot, kid," he whispered in her ear. He stood, turning, and his clear blue eyes came to rest on Zelda's face, a soft smile gracing his own.
The joy she felt at his return was quickly squelched by the sudden memory of what he'd said to her on Death Mountain what seemed like an eternity ago. "Boy," she said, and though it was the name she'd called him since their youth, it was laced with cold, professional distance. "Welcome back," she said in that same frosty tone.
His face didn't change, the smile never faltering once. The sparkle slipped from his eyes, however, and the blue seemed now a little dead despite the life he now had.
"Where's the Master Sword?" he asked, turning to Kiron.
Kiron pointed into the ring of flame. "Your otherworlders decided to go inspect things and he trapped them…you might want to get in there and keep them from getting killed," he advised clinically, earning him a sharp elbow to the ribs from the Gerudo girl. He chuckled, rubbing his side. "Good to have you breathing," the general grinned.
Link nodded, smiling. "Good to be breathing," he retorted. He turned toward the ring of flame, eyes going stony. "Protect them," he ordered Kiron. "I'm gonna go get my sword back." With a roar of determination, the renewed Hero of Time leapt through the flames, the fire licking at his skin and clothes, and took off at a dead run toward the conflict at the other edge of the battlefield…where he could see a metallic, faint blue glimmer just waiting for him.
Impa watched the boy run, and then her crimson gaze slid slowly to her Princess. With almost casual, definitely deliberate slowness, she walked over, sat down beside the girl, and slapped her upside the head.
"Impa!" Zelda cried indignantly while Kiron and Kitara tried to stifle a laugh. "What the hell was that for?!"
Impa rapped her sharply again. "Watch your mouth," she growled.
Zelda glared at her.
Impa was unaffected. "What the hell is wrong with you?" she growled. "You did that on purpose."
Zelda turned away, eyes hardening. "You weren't there," she said softly.
"Oh, bugger that, girl. Let me guess…you refused to leave him and got hysterical when he tried to protect you before worrying about himself. Am I right?"
The Princess glared at her some more.
"And quit giving me the look," she said, now sitting cross-legged on the ground in front of Zelda. "It doesn't scare me and you should know that by now. Honestly…" she arched a brow. "I know you care about him, you foolish child," she said, prodding the tip of Zelda's nose. "And I know he cares about you. What could he have said that was so cruel?"
"He said that it was his duty to protect me. Nothing more," Zelda replied, the hurt evident in her clear voice. "Those were his words."
"Oh, bullshit," Impa said, her language and irritation so sudden that it took Zelda quite by surprise and knocked the wind from her indignant sails. "I can tell you for a fact that he only said it to get you to safety."
Saria spoke up when it looked as though the Princess would argue. "Highness, it's true…he loves you deeply. It was his worry and concern for you that convinced him to return to us, before anything. He wanted to protect you…and it wasn't duty talking."
Zelda's eyes went to the ground, angry tears forming. "He hurt me," she whispered.
"And now you've hurt him. You're even. And if you try anything like that again, I swear I'll kick your ass all the way to the Gerudo Fortress, royalty or no."
Zelda knew better than to argue. Impa never said anything she didn't mean. "Yes, ma'am," she whispered meekly.