AUTHOR'S NOTES: All Legend of Zelda characters are © Nintendo. Lamia Carna, Tartara, Vanessa Valeska Ardea, Saanabora, Adonica, Didrika, Irk, Jona, Zared, Yashaki, Yashakia, Undead, Cibola, Bawaadi-Yin, Beoudi-Yin, Ayo, Uta, Phillipa, the Orcus Poltergeist, Bryna, Lilu, Dis, Ewain, Bonnie, Balder, Deiphoba, Mezentius, Lord Gryph, the Skorpyons, the Scyllas, the kappas, the Zote hounds, Ephiny, Saturnalia, the jenii, Mount Stygis, Makare-Yin, Tatchi, Severin, the Sheikdom, Awen, Troy, Desdeomna, Nike, Faustine, Meredith, © Chiyome, 2009.
Laura, Linkchepto, Shurai, Habn, Era & Azeril © Laura Belmont.
This is a REALLY OLD story—we're talking ten years at least, during the heyday of Nintendo 64 and Ocarina of Time. I still don't know exactly how I came up with the concept, but it was fun to write. I fixed up Vanessa's character to hopefully make her less Mary Sueish (how come nobody warned me? I didn't notice it until about a month after I wrote it & was rereading it. It was one of those moments where you stare at it for a while, blink a couple of times, then roar, "D'OH!".)
I took out a few characters and rewrote a few bits, but for the most part the story's the same as it was when I posted it. Hopefully it's not too convoluted. Please read & review!
THE LEGEND OF ZELDA:
LAMIA'S REVENGE
By Chiyome
CHAPTER 1
Link awoke with a grunt.
For a moment, he stared up at the beams supporting his tree house home. He didn't want to get up.
But he had to. After all, today was his seventeenth birthday--again--and Saria had been plotting and planning his party for weeks.
Link sat up and rubbed his eyes. Sunlight slipped through his window and splayed across his face, causing his reddish-blond hair to shine. Outside, he heard Epona whinny, and Candida, his Lon Lon cow, cry for their breakfast.
"Okay, okay, I'm up," he grumbled, stretching his arms and wincing before standing. He hadn't slept that well the night before.
Dressing quickly and deciding to wash up later, Link jogged out of his house and hopped down the short ladder, landing into the pasture he had fenced off for his animals.
Epona nickered happily and galloped over to him, snuffling first at his cheek, then at his pockets.
"Okay, okay, okay!" Link laughed. He pulled out a handful of horse treats Malon had given him, and Epona quickly licked them out of his palm.
As Epona munched contentedly, Link dragged out bales of hay and spread them along the watering brook. Epona nudged him playfully with her long head, but Candida only shook her boxy head disdainfully. As she passed Link, she slapped him across the stomach with her tail, as if to say, "It's about time!"
"Yeah, same to you," Link muttered, patting her hip. Vaulting the fence again, Link sighed to himself, then watched as the Kokiri villagers staggered out of their homes, still sleepy. When Saria didn't appear, Link shrugged to himself; she must have been in the Lost Woods again.
He trudged up the stairs to his home, three times bigger now than it had been when he was ten. When he wasn't fighting Ganondorf or his minions, Link added on to his home. Princess Zelda had speculated that he must have inherited woodworking from his parents.
That thought stopped him short. His parents? He didn't remember them; all he knew was that his father had died in the wars and his mother had succumbed to the wounds she had received. Link was taken in by the guardian of Kokiri Forest, the Great Deku Tree, and was sent to live among the Kokiri as one of them.
Suddenly miserable, Link turned on the balcony and looked out over the trees to Hyrule Castle. He had searched the birth records there for his parents, but Ganondorf had inexplicably destroyed them all. There was no record of his family. Everything else he had heard through word of mouth, and little of it seemed true.
Every year, on his birthday, Link thought about this. He couldn't help it, though it depressed him to no end. He didn't have a blood family like the others, and he secretly feared that he might never have one.
He leaned on the balcony rail and watched as Saria appeared at the edge of the Lost Woods. It had broken his heart when he discovered that a Hylian and a young Sage could never form a relationship. But it had surprised him-and hurt him even more-to learn that Zelda, who had completed her Sagehood years ago, was going to marry Prince Zared of Yashakia, the kingdom across the Mountain Ocean.
Link had kept a straight face during that announcement. Zelda had looked as though she would cry, but Link assured her that it was all right, Zared was a good man, and she needed this alliance for Hyrule.
Besides … Link grimaced: he had his own problems with Ruto.
"Hey! Link!"
Surprised, Link glanced up just in time to see a tiny, bluish-white form zip down from the sky.
"Navi!" Link said, laughing as his former fairy hugged him around the neck and kissed his cheek.
"Happy birthday!" she said ecstatically, and Link smiled ruefully; she was more excited about this than he was.
Navi grinned, then fluttered up to the top of his head, her favorite place to sit. She flipped down over his forehead to smile at him. "So, birthday boy. How'd you like the gradual growth process to manhood? Or didjya prefer to be warped?"
"This's fine with me, thank you. Kind of weird, though."
"Tell me about it." Navi settled back into his hair. "So, when's the party?"
"Right after breakfast with the others."
"Y'know, Link, I would've brought you something …"
"That's all right, Navi. I really don't need anything anyways."
"Well, I think you deserve something … other than, say, broken bones and punctured organs."
"Ha, ha." Link smiled; Navi had developed an attitude since they last fought Ganondorf together.
"Hey, check it out," said Navi, sitting up, "Here comes Saria and the Hoard."
She was right. Below them, Saria and her fairy Nera were racing a troupe of tiny Kokiri babies to Link's house.
The Forest Sage skidded to a halt at the front of his tree. She grinned and waved up at them. "Yahoo! Happy birthday, Link!" Saria shouted, and the young Kokiri soon took up the wish, sounding like a gaggle of Cuccos.
"Thanks, Saria!" Link returned. He and Navi hurried down to greet their friend. A soon as Link stepped off the last stair, he was immediately attacked and knocked over by the children, all eager for hugs.
"What are you feeding them, Saria? They're strong as Lon Lon cows!" Navi chortled as she fluttered over Link and the kids. "This is so cute. You should see yourself, Link."
Link laughed. It never ceased to amaze him how these baby Kokiri loved him so much.
"Hang on, kids!" he grunted, then, with some effort, managed to stagger to his feet. The kids swung from his arms, legs, shoulders and neck, all screaming gleefully.
With one hand, Link supported baby Adonica, Saria's youngest niece. With the other, he caught the Sage by the elbow and kissed her on the cheek. "Thanks for bringing the Hoard with you."
Saria giggled, then gently took Adonica off of his neck. "I can't help it. I swear, they're all Foreshadowers; I didn't even say where I was going and they all followed me."
Link just smiled, then slowly lifted his arms up into the air. Mido's three-year-old twin sons and daughter shrieked as they dangled in the air.
"Okay, guys," Link said, trying to be stern and not laugh. But it was difficult; he had a toddler on his back that was intent on burrowing into his ears. "It's time for you to get off now."
"No!" they shouted, grinning toothily up at him. "Carry us!"
"I can never say 'no' to you guys," Link grumbled, but he still laughed. Feeling as though he were weighted down with the Iron Boots, Link lumbered across the field, fighting to keep his balance. Navi flew around him in dizzying circles, warning the children against falling.
Finally, Link came to a tuft of flowers. Like Epona when the flies were too much for her, Link shook them all off.
"Easy, guys!" he cried when they squealed and flung dirt and grass at him.
Behind him, Saria laughed. "Breakfast is in fifteen minutes. Are you going to survive, Link?"
"For the love of Nayru, I hope so!"
Navi was laughing so hard that she was rolling in the air. "Aw, this kills me! Man, Link you'd make a great dad."
"Yeah," Didrika, Saria's second niece threw in. "If he didn't act so wimpy around girls!"
"Didrika!" Saria scolded, "That wasn't very-"
"WIMPY?!!" Link roared, and Didrika pretended to scream in fright. Link charged after her, shouting, "I'll show you who's wimpy!!"
"Tickle torture!" Navi cried, racing after them.
Link eventually caught up with his midget insulter. He grabbed her and tossed her up into the air until she yelled "Deku Tree!!", a sign of surrender.
As he played with the children, Link looked up at Navi and asked, "Navi, were you serious when you said I'd be a good dad?"
"Of course I was! Why do you ask?"
"Ooh--oof!" Link grunted as he was bowled over by two mighty nine year olds. He faked a growl, sending the boys screaming back to their safety area. "I don't know-I just … it's been bugging me. I want to have a family-gotchya!" Link tagged a short opponent, then quickly leapt away. "But I've never had a good father figure-let alone a real one-and I don't know how good I'd be at parenting."
"Whoa, Linky," Navi said, bagging around a sapling and zipping after him again. "You've gotta get married first."
He chuckled, then ducked around a bush to avoid a trio of children. "I'm aware of that …."
"You're aware of it, but you never talk to any girls."
"Well--" Link dove over into his safety area. "I know … but … I can't marry Saria until she completes her Sagehood. That won't be for another ten years or so. Malon's getting married in the spring, and … and Zelda …"
Link fell silent. Sympathetic, Navi landed on his knee. "Don't worry, Link. You'll meet someone. Just remember that proverb, 'Stop chasing love …'"
"'And love will come willingly,'" Link finished. He nodded. "I know. I just can't stand being alone like this anymore."
"Poor Link," Navi sighed. She hesitated; she knew better than to say her name, but Navi just couldn't resist.
"What about Ruto?" Navi asked slyly.
"DON'T EVEN!! DON'T EVEN GO THERE!!!"
Navi laughed. "I'm only joking!"
"I don't care! That woman's psycho! You said so yourself!"
"I know, I know! I just love seeing the look on your face when I say her name!"
Link was about to snap back, when suddenly, Navi's eyes flew open in terror, and she sprang into the air, shrieking, "LOOK OUT!!!!"
Link spun around, half expecting a Wolfos or something. Instead, about eighty Kokiri kids lunged from behind the bushes and pinned Link down with their combined weight.
"Agh!" he cried.
"Ha!" a boy laughed, and he brandished a pointy Deku Stick like it was the Fairy Sword. He jabbed it at Link's face. "Do you yield?"
Link smiled. "I know when I'm beaten."
Thinking themselves victorious, the kids began to clamber off. As soon as he was freed, Link took off like a crazed Poe across the streams, shouting, "And I haven't been beaten yet!"
Finally, Saria called to them that breakfast was ready. Link hurriedly washed his sticky, kiss-covered face in a stream, with Navi gibbing him the whole time about it
He sat at the head of a long table made of half of a Deku Tree. After his friends and their families sang a song to antagonize him about his age, Link broke a Deku nut in half evenly. The kids were excited; that meant anything he wished would come true!
Link doubted that.
His birthday passed pleasantly, somewhat. Mido, who was still irritated with Link after all these years, didn't wish Link a happy birthday, and yet didn't make any rude comments during the breakfast. "The best present of all," Navi said, and Link only laughed.
Saria later shooed him off when he offered to clear the table. As Link and Navi headed back to his house, Navi grabbed the tip of one of his ears. "Wasn't that nice, Link? Just wait; your wife won't even let you stand if you don't offer to help her clean after supper!"
Link dressed in the new green tunic Saria and the Twins made for him, saddled Epona and galloped out of the Forest.
The grass was still dewy as Epona ripped across Hyrule Field towards Lon Lon Ranch. The mare whinnied happily as she trotted through the gate and saw her former owner, Malon, race to the entrance of the Ranch.
Epona slowed and nuzzled Malon as Link and Navi leapt down. Giggling, red-haired Malon fairly flung herself at Link. "Happy birthday, Link!"
"Thanks, Malon. Where's your dad?"
Malon arched an incredulous eyebrow at him. Link and Navi both sighed. "Asleep."
"Drifted off to Lala Land right after he fed the horses," Malon said, smiling slightly, "That was four hours ago! I told him you were coming!"
Link grinned. "It's all right. I'll wake him up before I go."
Malon led Link and Navi behind the barn, where the ranch hand Ingo (despite his being 'changed', he still seemed rude as ever), was having a heated argument with Malon's fiancé, Balder.
Link offered both a hello. Ingo only snorted, and Balder shrugged apologetically.
"What's going on?" asked Navi.
Malon shook her head. "Ingo's mad that Phillipa is going to be sold soon."
"You mean Epona's sister?" Link asked.
"Uh-huh." Malon shrugged with one shoulder. "No one aside from you or me can ride her. She's too wild."
Balder quickly ended his fight with Ingo and hurried over to Malon's side. He shook Link's hand and congratulated him on his birthday. Malon then insisted that Link and Navi stay for a few minutes and have her special honey mead while she got Link's presents.
Link obliged--he didn't want to her to mope later. Malon handed him three parcels; a new comb for Epona's mane, a blanket, and a card that stated Link was free to come by any time and get 50% off a new pony.
At the bottom of the certificate, Malon had scrawled 'PHILLIPA'. Link smirked. "Malon, I don't
know …"
"Oh, please?" she begged. "Phillipa might be whipped if any one else buys her!"
Navi elbowed Link in the temple, and Epona gave him a hard push with her nose. Link chuckled and tucked the certificate inside his tunic. "I'll think about it."
Link placed the gifts in Epona's saddlebags, managed to wake Talon just long enough to say 'Hi', then hugged Malon and shook Balder's hand again before setting off for the palace.
******************************************************************************
Hyrule Castle Town Market was packed, as usual. Link had to tell Epona to go slowly so she wouldn't trample anyone.
One bad thing about the crowd was that it was hard to skirt around Link's fans. Everyone from bright-eyed little boys to hysterical teenage girls tried to gather around him or follow wherever he went. One lunatic had caught Navi in a bottle as a souvenir. The little fairy screamed and swore until Link gave the boy his autograph in return for Navi.
With this knowledge, Navi buried deeper under Link's hat. He smiled as he heard her mutter, "Stupid little freaks … don't know what a real hero he is … can't these preteens go play with make-up or something …?"
The Hyrule guards grinned as they spotted Epona racing towards them, and they waved Link through the gates. That always made Link and Navi laugh; for the seven years that Link was sent back to Hyrule to live, he had been forced to sneak around the same guards. If he were ever caught, he would be tossed out like yesterday's trash. Epona skidded to a halt at the foot of the castle steps. Link and Navi raced up the stairs and paused outside the door to catch their breaths.
"Straighten your cap!" Navi hissed, "Link, promise me you won't do anything embarrassing like you did with that Atlantian ambassador?"
Link frowned. "Hey, I was justified; he wouldn't keep his hands off of Zelda."
"She could have kicked his butt. And besides, did you have to dump the pudding on his head?"
Link decided that he didn't have to answer that. He hammered on the doors with the heavy brass knockers, and promptly, a maid opened the doors and greeted him.
Knowing the layout of the castle pretty well by now, Link and Navi proceeded on to the reception hall. There, Link was hardly surprised to see a young, regal woman, or her tall Sheikah attendant there, waiting for him.
"Link!" Zelda cried, racing to him and leaping into his arms for a hug. "Happy birthday!"
Link laughed and embraced his dear friend. "Thanks, Princess."
Zelda smiled and stepped aside as Impa approached him. "Link, good to see ye again lad. Happy birthday."
"Thanks, Impa," Link replied, shaking her hand. "No hugs from you?"
Zelda laughed. "Come on, Link," she said, her voice as light as air and lovely as Ocarina notes. "I want you to meet Zared."
'Do I have to?' Link wondered silently, but he allowed himself to be dragged into the dining hall.
There, seated at the dining table, sat an incredibly tall, dark man sat, drinking wine from a goblet. The man glanced up and smiled when he saw Zelda. Link stiffened; that was the smile of a man who was in love.
Damn.
"Zared," Zelda said, taking the man's huge paw--uh, hand--into her own and leading him to Link. "I'd like you to meet Link, the Hero of Time. Link, this is Prince Zared of Yashakia."
"The kingdom across the Mountain Ocean," Link said with a nod, accepting the man's outstretched hand. "Yes, I've heard."
"I finally meet you, Sir Link," said Zared, "I've heard many tales about you and your fairy."
Navi leaned close to Link's ear and muttered, "I'm surprised that he can hear anything at that height."
Zared, not hearing her, went on. "Wow … you do look like the Hero of Time from our Texts."
"Texts?"
"Our book of prophecies."
He looked like the Hero of Time … Link could hear those same words being said by the once mysterious Sheik seven years ago in Magick Time.
Link tried to smile. "I don't know what to say--"
"Better say something to make him happy," Navi warned, "or King Didongo here'll eat ya."
Link swatted the fairy away.
Zelda, thankfully, broke the awkward silence. "Link, there's still some time before dinner. Would you like to open your presents?"
"Presents?" Link repeated.
"PRESENTS!!" Navi cried gleefully. "Link, you're getting loaded! Let's go!"
Excusing herself from Zared and Impa, Zelda took Link by the hand and led him out of the hall. Once they were out of an earshot, Zelda giggled, hefted her skirt up a bit, and broke into a run. Link grinned and raced after her. That's one thing he loved about her; when there were no evil sorcerers or crazed elder sisters with firepowers breathing down her neck, Zelda was carefree.
Link caught up with her, and they both skidded out onto a balcony overlooking the garden that he had first met Zelda in.
They stood there, panting and laughing. Zelda waved her hand to shush him, then quickly smoothed her hair.
"We have other presents, Link," Zelda said, "but this one I really want you to open right now."
The princess crossed the balcony to a potted plant in the far corner. She bent down, then removed a large parcel wrapped in brown paper. She smiled, and handed it to Link. "Here Link … happy birthday."
Link had been expecting a new book--Zelda always gave him really neat books that came in handy during his battles. Seeing this, Link's eyes widened and he began to hastily tear the paper off, with Navi on his shoulder, straining to see.
Finally, Link dropped the wrapping, and stared in amazement at a sword sheathed in a gold and red leather sheathe.
Link gripped the gold dragon handle and drew the sword out. Sunlight blasted off of its silver razor edge, and Link had to squint in order to study the intricate designs.
Etched in either side of the blade was a panel from the Legacy of Bryna, a legendary Sheikah warrior who had protected Hyrule and saved the Sheikahs when Din's evil brother, Dis, attempted to take over the world.
The panel showed Bryna deep in combat with two dragons that flew through the air fluidly, almost like silk ribbons in the breeze. Tiny rubies and emeralds gleamed in the dragons' eyes. Sapphires shown in Bryna's eyes.
"It's--it's a Sheikah sword," Link stammered, "Princess, this is so rare--it must have cost you thousands of rupees!"
Princess Zelda smiled. "No, I had it kept in the private vault. It's one of the only things that Ganondorf didn't take or destroy."
"It's beautiful … thank you, Princess."
"You're welcome, Link."
Link smiled as he sheathed the sword, but something in his eyes must have betrayed him. Zelda looked at him curiously. "Link, what's wrong?"
He sighed. "It's nothing …"
"It's something," Navi said with a roll of her eyes. She fluttered away, saying, "If it'll make you feel better, I'll leave you two alone."
"What's going on?" Zelda asked, looking worried.
Link sighed again and shrugged. "Princess, you know that I'm never happy on my birthday …"
"Are you still worried about that? Oh Link, I promise, we'll search the Hylian birth records again--"
"No, it's not that, really … I'm … just … so …" Link raised his eyes to Zelda's, and drew in a ragged breath. "Alone …"
"Oh Link …"
"I have friends and people I love, I know. But I feel like there's another part of me that's been ripped away and it's lost somewhere. And it's not here, not in Hyrule … and I don't know if I'll ever find it."
Zelda bowed her head. "Link, I'm so sorry …"
"Don't be," he said. "Zelda--Princess, you've lucked out. I don't want you to go into this marriage feeling sorry for me."
Zelda blinked, her giant blue eyes glassy. She cupped his hands in her own. "Link, I can feel that there are going to be more people in your life. Several more girls, in fact."
Link cocked an eyebrow curiously.
Zelda blinked. "And one could be a perfect match for you if you accept her. Who she is, I don't know. And I don't know when you'll meet her."
Link shrugged. "Well, it at least gives me something to look forward to."
Zelda laughed. "Come on, let's have some cake."
A real smile broke Link's face. "Sounds good to me."
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A thunderstorm broke that night just as Link and Navi returned to Kokiri Forest. Link had enough time to say good night to Saria before the rain really started to come down. So hard, in fact, that Navi decided against flying back to the Deku Tree Sprout. Link made a makeshift bed for her out of two of his old hats in a basket, then retired himself.
But in his seventeen years of life, both before the Great Deku Tree called him, and after he had defeated Ganondorf for the last time, Link had never had nightmares as terrifying as the one he had that night.
He dreamt that the air and sky shone red and black with flames and soot. Hyrule Field was parched and the thick grass vainly tried to take root. Lake Hylia was completely dry, and dead bodies of Zoras laid in the dry mud and sand.
Kokiri Forest was wasted, all of the trees burnt or shredded, every home destroyed. Vultures circled overhead as strange demons loped through the charred woods, stalking Saria and her nieces.
Link shuddered and turned. The dream shifted. All of the sages' temples were in ruins, completely eradicated. Kakariko Village was gone. All of the graves in the graveyard had been disturbed, and furious, wailing Poes and spirits drifted out over the burnt husks of houses.
Death Mountain erupted, completely swallowing the Queen of Evil's Tower. The Gorons were all dead, either eaten by a dragon or burnt alive by the rushing lava.
Redead shambled through Lon Lon Ranch and most of the Field. Stalfos hunted through Hyrule Market Town, and Moblins easily held off a ragtag force of Hylians that had launched a counterattack.
His sight twisted, and Link found himself on top of Hyrule Castle, Navi and Zelda cowering behind him as a monster unlike any Link had seen before raced towards him. It looked like …
Ganon?
It screamed, lifting a huge, taloned hand. "You took my father from me!!"
Before the creature could bring that paw smashing down on them, a new voice cut through the howling wind and snarling thunder. The dragon wheeled around, and Link blinked as he saw Impa stagger to her feet--
Wait!! That wasn't Impa!!
A strange woman swayed on her feet, covered in her own blood and dragging her sword by her side. Link realized with a start that she was dying on her feet.
The woman stumbled, but forced herself to stand. She snarled at the dragon, and held something out.
The demon went berserk, shrieking and spinning around, tearing for the woman and giving Link enough time to send Zelda down into the castle.
But he looked back, screaming in horror and denial as the girl was battered down, then grabbed in the monster's jaws. The young woman weakly tried to pry the fangs away, but she just didn't have the strength.
Like a furious Wolfos with its hapless prey, the dragon began to shake the life out of the girl. It threw her to the roof violently, then swung its hand, throwing her into a battlement. The woman couldn't even lift her head.
Link turned and tore across the roof towards the dragon as it slapped the girl again. The woman cried out in terror as she flipped over the battlement. Link was amazed to see her catch the edge and hang on--
The dragon swung its fist, and the battlement shattered. Link's eyes locked with the petrified eyes of the warrior as she was flung off of the castle--
"NO!!!" Link screamed, sitting bolt right up and his eyes flying open in terror.
Navi squawked in fright and toppled out of her basket. She peeked over the edge. "Link, whatzthematta?!"
"I--I …" Link stammered. He wiped his face. He was covered in sweat, but he was cold. "I had a nightmare."
"Nightmare?" Navi repeated in disbelief. "Jeez, Link, you haven't had any of those in fourteen years!"
"I know! I know!" Link flipped off his bed sheets and stood. He crossed his room to the shaving mirror in the far corner. His face was white. He looked as frightened as he felt.
"Link?"
He turned to face her. "Something bad's gonna happen, Navi," he said, "I know it."