RUINS OF GANON'S TOWER, ERA OF THE HERO OF TIME
Linkle was exhausted. She flopped pack first into the pile if debris. Link and Princess Zelda were celebrating but she was relieved that it was over. She closed her eyes briefly, she had been through a lot, being the equivalent of the Hero's pack mule. Wherever he went she was behind him by fifteen paces. Carrying everything he wasn't using at the moment. He pack was barely large enough for her own amenities, most of it was all Link's, the pompous boy who had grown up alongside her in Kokiri Forest. They were both fostered there by the Great Deku Tree, both Hylian, but only one was destined to be the Legendary Hero.
She thought back to the Water Temple where they found their Dark Copies. Link immediately fought his, both wanting to kill the other. Linkle simply sat down with hers, watching the two go at it. It was nice to have the pack off. Unfortunately, him calling out for her to toss him various items in the fight didn't help.
"Why do you do everything he tells you?" her Dark Twin questioned while sitting next to her, "you aren't his slave. Why continue doing something when no one respects you? What is stopping you from your freedom? What shackles you to him?"
"He needs my help. Plus growing up, I always wanted to venture out into the world and this is how I can do it."
Her Dark Twin scoffed in response, "sure, he was your ticket out, but why stay? It's not like it's impossible to adapt to this world."
The conversation still haunted her, even given the fact that her duplicate seemingly melted into the ground rather than dying at the hands of the Hero. But abandon Link? No, she couldn't. His destiny was too important, but at the same time, the way he had treated her, she wasn't quite happy with it.
Princess Zelda and Link were in deep conversation when he casually motioned to her, "no need to thank her, you wouldn't thank a pack mule for carrying your things and that's pretty much what she is. 'Bout as stupid as one too."
She gritted her teeth, "excuse me?".
He waved her off as the two continued their conversation. She sighed and sat upright before looking around the rubble of the tower. A few trinkets lied around. A book here, a rupee there, a scroll torn in two. She pulled a cape from the rubble, it was nearly identical to the one Ganondorf wore during his fight with Link where the two smacked little balls of electricity back and forth for half an hour. It seemed like it could fit her with a little tailoring. Same with a few sashes under another rock. She collected them all, stuffing them in places where they would barely fit. She didn't know how much time had passed until Princess Zelda touched her shoulder, "oh my goddesses, I thought you would be sent back with Link at the same time..."
Linkle quickly dropped to one knee, "um, uh, your majesty, uh, deepest apologies for not, uh, being enough help to Link to rescue you sooner."
The Princess shook her head, "Linkle, you have no need to apologize, while disguised as Shiek, I saw that you were the one to try to urge him forward. You did a fine job putting up with that treatment. But now, I have to attempt to return you to your time as well."
"Huh? But don't you need the Master Sword for that?" she quickly raised a finger.
"Admittingly yes, this is a total shot in the dark so you need to focus on the time you want to go to."
Linkle had her hesitations. Leaving it up to pure luck was not gonna be comforting but if it meant she could help Link, then that's what she would focus on.
Near the Forest of Time - 47,296 years after Ocarina of Time
The ground hurt as she smacked against it. The drop was more than she expected. She placed her palms on the ground and pushed upwards. She slowly rose to her feet before examining herself.
It wasn't the body of a child. In fact, if anything she looked a year or two older. A little more toned, a bit more muscular. Still slim.
"Shot in the dark huh? I'd say it's a miss."
She raised her head at her surroundings. Mountains and hills, wide plains, a well worn path, an occasional ruin. None of it was familiar save one thing.
The iridescent glow of lava from a volcano in the distance, "Death Mountain. Okay, but when?"
A castle stood closer to her left, dark veins or crimson and fuchsia swam through the air around it as several pillars jutted inward towards it. It was a breath taking sight until the giant pig face erupted and spiraled with a glowing white light from inside the central tower before both faded. Linkle blinked, "whaaat the..."
She turned to her sides to see if any acknowledgement from any sign of intelligent life. Only the wind answered her call. She sighed and pulled out her compass. Maybe she was just over on the other side of Death Mountain?
No. The arrow pointed north and Death Mountain was still to her northeast as if she was standing in Hyrule Castle.
She groaned and dropped the pack. It was clear that she was gonna a have to find a way to get back to her own time by herself. Linkle closed her eyes, focusing herself before she opened everything, sprawling it on the grass under the light of the moon.
She gazed down at herself, clothes dirty and torn, even too small in some areas. She could probably fit into some of his other clothes. His tunics were a mess. She quickly gave a look around before stripping own tunic off and replacing it with Link's Zora Tunic. Hers was now too small.
She folded the Goron Tunic nearly as she sorted what she would need. The Giant Wallet was a definite. She was glad she convinced Link to break the Curse of the Golden Skulluta. Lens of Truth was carefully set down next to it. Fairy Bow and Quivers of arrows, Megaton Hammer. She needed those. Mirror Shield too. A spare bit of rations. The spell crystals given by the Great Faries. A few bombs and bombchus. The Fairy Ocarina.
She shook her head. She had to sneak back and retrieve that when Link was sleeping. It was a gift from Saria after all. Her hand brushed the Gerudo Ticket and went past to the Silver Gauntlets. She wanted those.
She quickly fastened them on. The Iron Boots and Hover Boots were next. They had their uses. She carefully arranged them in the empty bag for the bottom as to not crush anything else. The Biggorons Swordmade her tap her chin. The Megaton Hammer seemed more practical. It was a Legendary Weapon after all. The Longshot was also immediately placed into the keep pile. All of the Child items were dumped. The Slingshot and Boomerang were just to small to be of any use at the moment. The bottles were kept along with Ganondorf's Cape.
She threw it on. It kept the cold at bay at the very least.
She still needed new boots and leggings. She tied a few of the Gerudo sashes around her cuts. It would have to do for now. The last thing she grabbed was a small pouch full of Deku Nuts.
She finished packing what she deemed essential, leaving behind every other I interesting thing she was told to carry. The pack felt much lighter, gauntlets aside.
Linkle stared up at the night sky. She paused a moment before taking her first step by herself. Out into the unknown.
She trekked for a fair bit before seeing a small bridge overlaying a river. One person was walking her direction on it. She waved before asking out loud, "excuse me? Do you know where I could find the nearest town?"
The person gazed over her appearance, "I see that. You are certainly dressed strange. Your accent seems to match."
She nodded, "yeah, I have a feeling I'm gonna get that a lot."
The traveler pulled on his backpack, "so what brings you out to Hyrule? Have you come to devote yourself to the Calamity as well?"
"The what?"
The traveler pointed to the Castle in the distance, "our true God, Calamity Ganon. The Yiga Clan spends every day in devotion to him. Have you come to join us?"
"Ganon? As in like Ganondorf Ganon?"
The traveler looked bewildered, "that's some rare knowledge. How do you know such ancient legends?"
Linkle snorted. Ancient? That told her that she really went forward in time. Not backwards, "it may sound strange but I helped defeat him."
"Then your choice has been made, you have chosen...DEATH!"
An explosion of smoke erupted in front of her as the traveler immediately had changed into a red outfit with a white mask. The symbol of the Shiekah was rotated upside down on its surface.
A bow was drawn with two arrows knocked. Linkle jumped and rolled as the arrows embedded themselves in the ground where she had been. She slung the mirror shield up defensively as two more arrows bounced harmlessly off her shield. The Yiga Clan Foot Soldier laughed and jumped before vanishing again. She gritted her teeth as he reappeared to her left, coming at her with a Sickle. It was a war of attrition as the Foot Soldier tried to penetrate her defenses as Linkle's reactions kept her unharmed but unable to attack without a one handed weapon.
Then it happened, one wrong move as Linkle slipped in the mud. The Foot Soldier headed down, "LONG LIVE GANON!"
The Sickle came towards her neck before an arrow impaled the hand. He helped and jumped back, dropping the Sickle. She dove for it, picking up the handle in her left hand. Someone else had joined the fight. A few more arrows before she heard splintering wood. Blonde hair and a muscular yet thin build and blue eyes. His clothes were obviously beyond their years, unbefitting of his age. He swore and drew a rusty blade and charged.
The Foot Soldier looked at Linkle, "you win this time Heroine of Time! We the Yiga Clan will kill you in the name of Ganon!" he vanished in a puff of smoke. Linkle readied her shield again, preparing for another attack.
A minute passed as the stranger went back to back with her. The two slowly circled as a light rain began to fall. The steady plunk of the raindrops on the Mirror Shield gave a soft sense of relaxation before the stranger spoke, "I think we're okay now. Who was that?"
"He said he was Yiga Clan, I'm not sure I know fully what that is but if it involves Ganon it can't be good. I thought he was trapped in the Sacred Realm."
"The what?"
"Never mind. Anyway thanks for saving me there, I probably should go back and grab the Kokiri Sword. It's at least useable as a knife. I didn't think about it before," she stuck out her hand, "I'm Linkle, by the way."
He shook it with a firm grip, "Link."
Her eyes went wide, "you gotta be shitting me."
The boy smirked, "must be a common name then. Anyway, after you get this sword thing, where are you headed?"
It took a moment for the Hylian to break out of her stupor. Another Link? In the future? What!? She gulped, "I need to find town. Preferably one with a tailor so I can get this," she shook the red and gold cape that once belonged to the King of All Evil, "hemmed up. I hate the man who had it but I gotta admit, he had some good taste. You should have seen his Pipe Organ."
"What are you going on about? What man? King Rhoam?"
She looked towards the Castle, "you call that thing Calamity Ganon, right?"
He yawned in response, "yeah, why?"
"Lets just say I helped someone fight him when he was but an Evil King. A man. Then he was a bipedal boar with two swords and now...that."
Link stared at her, "wait, you fought Calamity Ganon?"
She shook her head, "I helped the Hero of Time fight him and defeat him not a day ago for me but possibly eons for you. But if he's back, then I have to try and find a way to stop it."
"Youre not the only one," he commented as the two gazed upon the castle, "I've got to rescue someone from that thing. And seeing as you know what you're doing, it's probably in our best interests to stick together."
He watched as her expression changed to one of bewilderment and confusion. He swore that her shadow leaned back without her moving.
He brought out the Shiekah Slate, "well, we can talk about it later. Although I say we get that Kokiri thing you were talking about and then head to Kakariko Village, sound good?"
She nodded, finally coming to her senses, "um, yeah?"
TO BE CONTINUED...?