A/N: Eh…um…sorry? Yeah yeah, I've been quiet for a while…writer's block, you know…the story's reaching its tough stage. But I shalt remain persistent!! …Well, it was worth trying the medieval line, I suppose…

Disclaimer: Obviously I own nothing. Except OCs. Though you probably already knew that. Either that, or you just randomly clicked on this chapter.

--

Haley chewed slowly on her peanut butter sandwich, listening with increasing unease to the radio as it spoke on.

"…there are police going over the scene as we speak. Once again, for those who have just tuned on, there has been a bombing reported at the city square, in the Thomas Jefferson Memorial Park…investigation is initiating as we speak…all citizens are requested to remain calm and within their homes at all times. And now we turn back to Tom in the K29 chopper for the latest info. What have you got, Tom?"

The muffled voice of a man reached Haley's ears, fuzzy amid coughs of static and the beat of the helicopter he was inside.

"Yup, it's quite a fix we've got down there, Mary. The police are currently searching for the possible suspect, as well as the possibility of another bomb. FBI Agents are arriving now, as we speak…once again, it is assumed to be a terrorist attack and everyone is to remain on high alert."

"Thank you, Tom, and now I have a few questions. Does it look to you like there might have been anyone at the scene of the bomb? Any casualties known as of now?"

"Well, it's hard to say, Mary. There are vague reports about the park being almost empty at the time, though there are also rumors that there was one casualty…oh, wait, turns out those rumors were right. Currently scoping in on an ambulance that has just arrived at the scene…and yes, they're bringing out a stretcher. Looks like a girl that's been injured…"

"Yes, and thank you again for your visionaries, Tom."

"No prob, Mary."

There was a pause and a rustle of papers as Mary then proceeded with her report. "And now, on a second noting, there have been recent reports of a kidnapping in Fifth Street along the western sector of town…and we will keep you updated on that as well…"

Haley swallowed the mouthful. She had never felt so anxious before. Downing the last of her cup of water, she stood up and cautiously wove her way around the dining table and disposing of her saucer and cup on the kitchen sink, deep in thought. The kitchen itself, one of the three scattered in the mansion, had been extremely quiet ever since she and the swordsman had entered, and Haley knew that the current newcomer was sitting at the opposite end of the table, his clothes rustling occasionally as he shifted, obviously taking in his undoubtedly strange surroundings. He had uttered not a word since entering, even in his lilting tongue, though he had accepted a cup of orange juice Haley had offered him.

As though on cue, Mary on the radio moved on to that particular tidbit of news.

"And it is a turbulent day we're having in this small town, if these faithful listeners would agree. Already we have yet another report of trouble in a gift shop, where a strangely-dressed man with a sword was reported to have broken in. Apparently he departed just as quickly without taking anything with him, although the reported cashier in charge was well at his mercy. The third sector of our police force has been pursuing him and has briefly lost counter of his whereabouts as we speak, so for all of you listening, keep your eyes and ears open for him. We have a hotline here for those who might spot this man…"

Broken into a gift shop…Haley frowned slightly at this, one hand curled on the edge of the kitchen counter as she thought about it. No, the man sitting here did not seem at all capable of such an act, although she could not think of any other swordsman that might be running around town. And anyway, if he was really a criminal, wouldn't he have taken her hostage or something by now?

The phone began to ring at that moment. Or several phones at once, in fact, for one was situated in every other room in the house, all of them connected to the same line. Haley thought she heard a sharp rustle of cloth as the swordsman jumped in his seat. The particular white phone in the kitchen grabbed Haley's immediate attention, however, and ignoring the swordsman briefly she navigated to it.

"This is the McKenly premise. How may I help you?"

That was the way her parents had taught her to answer any phone call, a protocol drilled into her even as a small child when she could still see. The habit was pretty much unbreakable by now, though Haley hated the official stiffness of it. Of course, the answer was meant to appease businessmen that would almost always be on the other end, but still…why couldn't a simple hello suffice?

"Oh, Haley, thank goodness…that is you, right?"

"Sam? Yes, it's me." Haley blinked, feeling surprised. She had never heard dreamy Sam sound so…worried before. Almost panicky. Most definitely panicky. "What is it? Did one of your games blow up or something?"

This comment was a standing joke between them, but it seemed to fly right over Sam's head now. Haley frowned. Yes, there was definitely something wrong.

"Look Haley, it isn't that at all. It's…oh God, how do I explain it…?"

"Why don't you just tell me?"

"You wouldn't believe this…"

"Try me, honest."

"Um…well…Salem's just been carried off by this giant turtle with - with a mohawk."

Okay, maybe not wrong. Just crazy. "Sam, are you all right?" Feeling genuinely concerned, Haley twisted the phone cord anxiously between her fingers. "Are you staying up all night again? Insomnia isn't good for the human mind, you know…"

"Argh, this is exactly what I was afraid of! Haley, I'm not kidding…seriously, I'm not! I know what I saw! And what I saw was my little sister being carried off by Bowser!"

"Um…okay, you're beginning to scare me a little, Sam." Haley bit her lip. "Isn't Bowser that…Koopa thing in one of your video games? What was it now…Super Mario World?"

"You couldn't be more right." Sam sounded really stressed out now. Haley could just imagine him running a flustered hand through his golden curls. "It was Bowser, of all people…busted through the living room wall, he did, Salem screaming blue murder…and Jake and John actually took off after him!" Haley heard him emit a sort of low moan.

"Sam, maybe you should lay down…call a doctor, perhaps?"

Sam didn't seem to hear one word. "Can't have been him, though…" The sixteen-year-old was muttering, almost feverish by the sound of it. "That isn't possible…looked so real…but…must have been someone dressed up in a Halloween costume…yeah…a serial killer…oh God! Haley - Haley, what am I going to do? Salem might be murdered by now!"

"Oh!" Haley's throat closed at the very thought. Suddenly the whole situation seemed quite a bit more grim. "Have you tried calling the police, maybe?"

"Are you kidding? Already did…but they're not believing a word I'm saying…"

"I don't blame them…"

"What?"

"Nothing, nothing!" Haley sighed. "How about…your dad…?"

"Well - yeah - dad…well…" Sam seemed to be trying with a great effort to regain some composure. "Despite my story, the officers know for sure that Salem's definitely gone, and the hole in the wall isn't something you miss…they've phoned him up, and mom, too…they're probably heading over right now."

"I see…okay, then." Haley paused for a moment, swallowing. "I'll call Taylor, then…she has Salem's cell phone number. Maybe then we can try and contact her or something…"

"Yeah, I think that'd be a -"

"There is a second call waiting to be answered." Haley flinched slightly as the automated tones of an operator suddenly broke through Sam's voice, cutting him off abruptly. "Caller ID: Miyamoto, Sakurai. You have twenty seconds to switch to call. To switch, press one; to continue with current conversation, press three. Thank you for your consideration."

The operator fell silent, and Sam's words rushed back, as though he had been talking the entire time.

" - think that's dad's car pulling into the driveway now -"

"Okay Sam, Sakurai's calling me. Think I'd better answer. I'll call you back as soon as possible, though, okay?"

"Oh…yeah, alright…"

"You now have eleven seconds…ten…nine…"

"Bye!" Ignoring the droning operator's countdown, Haley dialed one and greeted this new caller.

"This is McKenly - uh - yeah, hello?"

"Ah, Haley, there you are." Sakurai's cool voice filled Haley's ear. Haley had always liked the calm woman…there was a strange friendly allure about her that had always made Haley feel at ease. "Alex here would like to have a word with you at the moment."

"Alex?" Haley blinked. Since when had Alex needed her advice on what video game to buy? "Uh, sure, put her in."

"Haley, you there?"

"About as here as I'll be. Oh, and I just wanted to tell -"

"Um, look, I've got news for you, so it'll have to wait." Haley blinked, surprised at her usually sluggish friend's quick interjection. "Look…do you know about that bomb that went out in the town square yet?"

"Oh, the terrorist attack? Yeah, what abou -""Haley, that wasn't a bomb. But I'll explain later. Look, Taylor's probably in the hospital by now -"

"What?"

"Eh, she got knocked out by Ganondorf's blast, and I had to leave her behind to get these people somewhere safe. The police were almost on us by about that time. Word spread fast."

"I - but -" Haley couldn't help but splutter. What in the world was a Ganondorf? "You - you left Taylor behind after she'd been knocked out by a bomb?!"

"It wasn't a bomb, and she's alright! Haley, listen this isn't the time to be skeptical. I need you to get a hold of Salem for me, she lives closest to you, and I don't have her number -"

"Um, yeah, unfortunately, Salem's been kidnapped, so I can't help you there."

There was a pause at the other end. "…Kidnapped?"

"Yeah. Sam just called me about it. She got abducted by a guy in a Halloween costume, I think. Busted through the wall of the house, too."

"Ah…did Sam mention exactly what costume this was?"

"Well, he mentioned something called a Bowser -"

"Say no more. I'm at Sakurai's shop. I think you should come here now. And…I don't suppose you've seen that blue swordsman, haven't you?"

"Uh…" Haley looked up, cocking an ear at where the swordsman sat. He was still there, as far as she could tell. "…Why do you ask?"

"Well, he isn't exactly safe out in the city streets."

"And what do you mean by that?"

"Let's just say a lot more like him are beginning to drift in…"

"…Okay. And?"

"…Sakurai's. Now. Then I might be able to explain."

Alex hung up.

Haley paused, then put the phone back in its receiver and sighed to herself. The day had just gotten very strange, more strange than she had ever imagined. And then her alert ears caught a thread of the radio, still on and chattering.

"…and apparently there has now been a recent tip as to the whereabouts of the man with the sword, just come in recently. Hello, sir?"

"Ah, yes, I just wanted to say that I caught sight of this man at the house next door…big place, a rich family. A poor blind girl was there, and that crook jumped through the window and might be holding her hostage right now. Saw it with my own two eyes."

Haley's stomach dropped as she listened to the unmistakable voice of the next-door neighbor, Mr. Howards. He was a vain and jealous man, constantly living in the shadow of her family's wealth, and had the eyes of a hawk. His long neck seemed to be made to spy on others. How could she have forgotten him…?

No doubt he had already tipped off the police. Which meant that this swordsman wouldn't have much time.

With a decisive jerk Haley turned around and addressed the man.

"Okay. We are going somewhere now, somewhere safe. And we must make haste." She gestured, then felt the chair in front of her until the caught hold of the folds of a jacket she had hung there. "Come on."

And, much to her relief, she heard the hiss of a chair as the swordsman stood up as well.

--

Alex placed the phone back in its receiver with a sigh. She hadn't felt this anxious since that time when her father's letters had stopped coming…shaking away the memory with a deft movement of her head, she turned away and shoved her hands deeper into her pockets, taking in her surroundings more carefully.

Sakurai's apartment, which was situated directly above her store and was connected to it by a set of stairs, did not seem that worse for wear, considering Sakurai's own status as a simple small-time game dealer. It had four rooms and was spacious for an apartment, with its own enclosed bathroom and kitchen, as well as a bedroom that was actually derived from the living room. Now she stood in the living room, which had your average-sized television and a small stereo that sat on a small desk beside a window looking out to the town beyond. This was coupled with two dark blue and slightly sagging couches placed side-by-side against the opposite wall, separated only by a small square table bearing a vase that contained a frail-looking plant adorned with small pink blossoms. There was a foreign cleanliness about the whole place, a bright organized tidiness, that set its tenant apart from other Americans. Sakurai had, besides, originally moved here from Japan.

However, the current inhabitants of the living room were a little less than normal. Pikachu was curled up on the sofa nearest to Alex beside a prostate Red, wide amber eyes following the sluggish movements of a lime green lava lamp that had been perched hastily on top of one of the stereo's speakers, black-tipped ears tilting and cocking delicately as the curious electric mouse examined these new surroundings with interest. Red himself, though still visibly shaken by the recent events that had taken place about half an hour before, had immersed himself in a bright red Pokedexter. Its soft beeps and chirps filled the otherwise silent room.

And this silence was mainly due to the slightly awkward presence of another person, standing at the far end of them room in the shadows, bright eyes that matched the shade of a clear summer sky darting uneasily. He was clad in a forest-green tunic and wore a pointed hat over his thick gold bangs, and his face, with its sharp contours and pointy ears, had the look of someone derived straight out of a story book. He wore white leggings beneath a pair of thick leather boots, and each of his gloved hands carried the burden of the weapons he had refused to stow as of now - a large shield in his right, and a long, glowing, double-edged blade with a blue winged cross guard in his right.

Alex knew exactly who he was, as any Nintendo fan probably would.

At length she stepped away from the curtained window and came forward, coming to a halt a few feet away from the alarmed swordsman. She wasn't yet sure if he would understand the English language…he was from Hyrule, besides, and they might very well have an entirely different tongue for all she knew…but it was worth a try.

"…Your name is Link, am I right? You're the bearer of the Triforce of Courage."

The swordsman's eyes burned into her like cold flames, curious and alarmed all at once. For a moment he looked about to respond, but clearly stopped himself, his face a carved mask of impassiveness. Alex had expected that too, however. In the games he had never been one to talk much, anyhow. In fact, on some occasions, he never did. But at least he apparently understood her. That was enough for now.

"Don't worry," she said calmly, smiling slightly. "Your secret is safe with me. We are not your enemies. At the moment, however, we're all in a substantial amount of danger. You probably already know this, but you're in an entirely different world. To put it bluntly. So be on guard."

Link's expression flickered briefly, a flash of emotion crossing his face, but it was gone as quickly as it had gone. Alex left it at that, turning away, to find Red staring at her with an almost equal amount of intensity.

Alex blinked at him, then smiled again, wider, and scratched her neck. "Oh, you heard that? My bad, I guess."

Red never loosened an inch, unfazed by her casual tone. Alex's smile slowly faded away, and she sighed, coming forward and plopping down one cushion away from Red. She leaned back, gazing at the white ceiling over her head.

"…So. How long have you known?"

Pikachu leapt into Red's lap; he patted it gently on the head. "A while. Ever since your friend overreacted over that vase. A little too panicked to be psyched out over an antique. She had a different quality of astonishment. That and…I had a while to think about it."

Alex nodded peaceably. "Perfectly understandable," she agreed mildly.

"…So you knew that I knew all along too."

"Yeah. Though you could never be too careful." Alex blinked, glancing for a moment at a door at the other end of the room, the one that led down a set of stairs to the shop full of videogames below. Sakurai had yet to return. Alex turned back to Red, who was now looking at her critically.

"One thing that's been bugging me, though…" he said slowly, frowning slightly. "If this really is a completely different world…how did you know about me and the Pokemon League?"

Alex glanced at him, a true frown now on her face. "…Well, I think I'll be holding back that bit of info for now. A little too much for the present moment. And I'm still not entirely sure…" Her voice faded, and she stopped speaking, staring emptily into space, deeply in thought. Red frowned, but knew by experience that it was best to leave it alone. This girl was obviously not one to spill everything too easily.

Instead he glanced at the swordsman who still stood where Alex had left him. To his surprise Red realized that the green-clad person had sheathed his sword behind his back, where it now hung beneath the shield the swordsman had slung there as well, and even as Red looked he strode to the window and paused beside it, a slight frown on his face as he peered out beyond.

"…I still can't believe how that man survived Pikachu's thunder attack," Red said distantly, talking to no one in particular as he recalled the happening. It had been more of an instinctive command to attack, really, something unintentional…that man had been on the verge of attacking Taylor…yet the attack had been nullified by that strange violet shield the man had put up, though he had fled despite.

"Well, that's an evil Gerudo king intent on taking over the world for you, my good Pokemon Trainer. And we've got more than just one villain on the loose." Alex rose from her seat as Link glanced at her, hearing her words. Red was looking at her with a baffled expression. "Never mind that," Alex reprimanded, waving away any incoming questions. "All in good time. Right now I'm going to check up on Sakurai, so you guys just stay here and try not to destroy the place, all right?"

Before either of them could say a word she was gone, through the door, her footsteps thumping on the immediate staircase soon fading away.

"Well, she's a secretive one," Red muttered to himself.

"Pika!"

The swordsman turned away from the window at that moment, finally studying Red curiously.

"…You don't belong here either?" he inquired, speaking for the first time. His voice was slightly husky but otherwise quite resonant, making Red jump slightly.

"Huh? Oh…well, this certainly isn't the Kanto region, I know that much…"

There was an awkward silence.

"…My name's Red. It's nice to meet you."

The swordsman's face seemed to ease slightly. "I'm Link. Same here."

"Nice to know. What do you think of…well, her?" Red tilted his head in the door's direction.

"…Not sure. I don't know if we should trust her."

"Well, she obviously knows a bit about each of us." Red frowned. That thought was slightly disturbing in its own right. "…Seems the only person we can really rely on here, though."

"If you say so."

Silence ensued once again, but this time it was slightly more friendlier than before. Red, receding to his own thoughts, noted how Link didn't say much, though whatever he said seemed to be worth hearing when he did speak. An odd quality…but Red shrugged that off. There had always been a lot to know about the world…even if this was a different one altogether.

--

Dennis blinked at the camera image before him, not quite sure if he should even take it seriously. He swallowed. Already he had only been an hour in his father's office and something had gone wrong, or very weird, at any rate.

With a manipulation of the keyboard he managed to zoom towards two particular objects of his current concern. The bespectacled boy frowned heavily, leaning towards the screen as the picture finally sharpened once more. His mouth dried.

For caught in the spur of five hundredths of a second and revealed only by the high-tech capabilities of the image scanner, clear as daylight, were two fighter ships, one lined in blue, the other a tarnished sort of golden-gray edged with violet, one shooting a barrage of green lasers after another. Otherwise known as a classic pair of UFOs, snatched right out of a sci-fi movie, a Star Wars fantasy. Sitting there right in front of Dennis's nose.

Dennis simply stared for a moment. Then he slowly raised his head.

"Um…dad? You might want to come see this…"

A/N: Hm, a slightly longer chapter than usual. This is getting good. But speaking of which…see that little square button below this line, the one with the word 'Go'? Why not click on it and see what it does, eh? You know you want to… ;)