Demigods on the Loose

Chapter 13: Kronos' Master Plan

So, what hero does Kronos need for his master plan? And what will he need him or her for? Well, read on and find out.

As Link was playing with the children in Kakariko Village, everything stopped. As Link looked around, a voice that grated like steel began to taunt him.

"Fool. Do you really think that you can defeat the Lord of Time? I shall destroy Earth and Hyrule. I shall enjoy watching you suffer, as everyone that you care about is slain. There will be no stopping me."

As the world began to spin, Link witnessed the destruction of cities and nations, burning to the ground, with bone-chilling laughter echoing in the background. Link even saw Castle Town on fire, with Ilia trapped in a building. As she screamed in terror, that's when Link woke up. A cold sweat was beading down his forehead as he took in shallow gasps of air.

"You okay?" Nancy asked her brother, noticing him tossing and turning in his seat.

All Link could do was nod, traumatized by that horrid dream.

As Link began to stare out the window, he spotted the sign that showed that they were in San Francisco. As the train stopped, Link took a deep breath and gathered his things. As everyone disembarked from the train, Tyson noticed that Link was looking a little ill.

"It's okay, Link. You're going to beat up the bad guy. The good guys always do."

Link smiled gratefully, thankful that Tyson understood him, even though the cyclops was only eight years old.

"Alright, people, we'll head for Mount Tamalpais right after supper. We'll take care of Kronos, in no time at all."

Except, Link had other plans. He had seen what would happen if they failed. He didn't want all of those people to suffer. He decided that he was going up there himself. He waited until everyone was distracted, then headed up to the mountain. He knew that it would be a long hike up, so he decided to turn into a wolf to go faster, since the entrance to the Garden of the Hesperides would close after sunset. This time when he turned into a wolf, he had to lay down for two minutes before he could get moving. It was getting harder for him to transform. He began to wonder if, one of these times, it would be permanent. As Link dashed across highways and across short stretches of woodland, he got closer and closer to his destination. As he climbed up the mountain pass, he had to hide multiple times so he wouldn't be spotted. Just as he spotted a dark, marble palace on the mount, he smelled something… Unfamiliar. Before he could think about what it was, a giant forked tail came sailing straight toward his head. Dashing out of the way, he turned to see a hideous dragon with multiple heads advancing toward him. Link knew that, if something heard him battling the dragon, there would be no choice but for him to flee. Beside the fact that Percy had told him about this dragon, Ladon. If you were bit by him, you were dead. As Link dashed past the fierce beast, he padded into a side room, just in time to see Luke enter with the mask of Kronos. When Luke set it on a side table and left the room, Link knew that, since he couldn't kill the Titan Lord on his own, he could steal the mask and make a break for it. At least then, Kronos wouldn't be able to use its powers for his own. Suddenly, as Link was about to grab it, he felt something wham into his head. As he collapsed onto the ground, the world spinning dizzily, he saw the scarred face of Luke staring down at him, with a wicked grin on his face.

OOXO

"Has anyone seen Link? I can't find him anywhere." Nancy said.

"You.. Don't suppose that he decided to… Go up there alone.. Do you, Percy?" Grover asked, quite worried at the situation on hand.

"I think.. He did." Percy sighed, afraid that he would pull something like that.

Just as the gang reached the Garden of the Hesperides, Percy announced that he was going in alone.

"Whoa, Percy. That's a really, really bad idea. And that's saying a lot, compared to what we've all been through." Thalia said, wondering why Percy had to be like this all the time.

"Okay, fine. I won't go alone. I'll take Nancy with me. You know, because Hylia gave her the scythe to take out Kronos."

Nancy was about to say that that was a crazy idea, but then nodded, determined to take Kronos out. As she and Percy snuck past the dragon in the garden, they spotted two serpent women guards by the entrance. Nancy was close enough to hear them say to each other,

" Lord Kronosss' plan worked perfectly. Sssoon he will control the earth with the power of the masssk. Nothing will ssstand in hisss way."

Wondering what Kronos' "master plan" was, Nancy and Percy managed to lead the guards away by throwing a stone to the left. As the serpent women went to investigate, that gave the heroes enough time to sneak into the marble palace. The first thing that Nancy noticed about the room, was the golden sarcophagus on a black marble pedestal. Right above it was the mask of Din, which was reflecting the light from the torches.

"No.. It can't be," Percy whispered.

Before she could ask what he was talking about, the sounds of voices came down the corridor. As Percy went to make sure that they wouldn't be coming down this way, Nancy figured that she should investigate the coffin, since she couldn't ask Percy. As she drew near, she could feel the presence of death and despair, and knew, deep inside of her, that this was no ordinary coffin. It had gruesome scenes depicted all over it, which Nancy couldn't bear to look at. When she managed to push the lid off of the coffin, she had to stifle a gasp at what she saw inside of it. It was Link, pale as death. Hoping that what she thought wasn't true, Nancy cupped his face in her hands and whispered,

"Link. Link? Come on.. Wake up."

When she heard voices approaching, she quickly hid behind a marble pillar. It was Luke who strolled in, with two creatures that looked like a Doberman Pinscher and a seal had been mutated together. That's when she realized that the strange creatures were bearing a scythe on top of a long, felt pillow. As Nancy watched, Luke hurried over to the coffin.

"Ah.. Exactly what the Lord of Time wanted. They are here already. Well, if I know this Nancy Drew, she's bound to be watching the entire thing. Well, let her witness the rising of Kronos."

With this, Luke began to mutter ancient-sounding words which echoed around the chamber. That's when blue lights began to dance around and go into Link's body. As Nancy watched, Luke commanded in English,

"Rise, Lord Kronos. Let your glorious reign begin."

That's when Link's eyes flashed open. But they weren't the crystal blue eyes, full of compassion and kindness, that Nancy knew. His eyes were now a blinding, golden color, emotionless. Sitting bolt upright and climbing out of the coffin with ease, he spoke. But it wasn't Link's voice. It sounded like his voice, but it had a grating undertone to it.

"Finally. Back at last. Soon, I will rule the earth."

As he raised his arm, he summoned the scythe toward him. Gripping it in his right hand, he looked puzzled, as he twirled it around.

"If it would help, my Lord, the hero, who's body you are now possessing, uses his left hand in combat."

Glaring at Luke for a second, Kronos switched it to his left hand. Twirling it around, he looked much more at ease.

"This will do quite nicely. How ironic, that I'm possessing the body of a hero. After I have grown strong enough to wield the mask, nothing will be able to stop me. You can come out now, mortal. You won't be able to stop me."

As Nancy came out of hiding, she drew out her mother's scythe, the light from the torches gleaming off of its polished surface.

"I see you possess your mother's scythe. Not that it will do you much good. Your mother was a fool to think that you could defeat me. Well try, if you dare."

As Kronos leapt into the air, Nancy raised her scythe, ready to attack. As Kronos brought his scythe down, she just managed to keep the tip of it from plunging into her forehead. Knocking it back with ease, she sent a bolt of light careening into the Lord of Time, knocking him back a few meters.

"Link, I know you're still in there. You've got to fight him."

"Foolish girl. Your brother is dead."

"No, he's not. He's saved the world of Hyrule. He's tough. He's defeated Zant and Ganondorf. If you think that you can just take him over, you're wrong."

Just then, his eyes switched its color to crystal blue.

"Nancy? You have to get out of here.. Now. While he's still contained."

"I'm not just going to leave you here."

"Nancy… NOW!"

A few seconds later, Link cried out in pain and Kronos' eyes reappeared.

"That foolish hero. Did he really think that he could best me, The Lord of Time? Now, I shall enjoy killing you slowly and painfully."

With a fierce war cry, Nancy charged in and swiped the Titan Lord's feet from underneath him. Nancy pointed the tip of her scythe to his throat.

"Fool. Would you really want to kill your precious brother?"

With that, Kronos purposely let Link through.

"Just do it, Nancy. If you kill me, then it will all be over."

Tears glistening in her eyes, Nancy knew that she just couldn't kill her brother, no matter how much he pleaded. Unfortunately, Kronos used this inner combat of hers to kick her to the ground. Before he could strike a death blow, the front doors banged open.

"Brother, stop!"

"Ah, sister. What an unexpected surprise. I'd just love to see you try to kill your own son. In fact, that would mean that you are no better than I am."

"Enough, Kronos. You might have been a brother to me, but now you have become a hideous monster."

"In your eyes, perhaps. But, in worthy Titans' eyes, the throne is what we have prepared for all this time. It was my destiny to accept it when mother gave me the opportunity. You should have helped. Then, you would have received glory and honor as well."

"There is no glory or honor in striking down your own father. Only a beast would do something like that."

"Then, it seems that you are not worthy to even be alive. Challenge me, if you dare."

Starting off the battle, Hylia raised her hand and created enough light to blind the Titan Lord.

"You never could stand goodness, brother."

In retaliation, Kronos raised his left hand and commanded the Triforce to encase her in golden chains.

"I could get used to this," Kronos said, pleased at what the Triforce could really do. As Hylia struggled in her chains, Kronos prepared to strike his sister down.

"With you out of the way, I'll kill your daughter next."

Nancy, knowing that Link was in there, fighting to get free, Nancy said,

"Link. Just look at what you're doing."

When the eye color switched back to blue, Link stared in horror at the fiendish act he was about to do. As the chains disappeared, Link pleaded,

"Mother, please. Get yourself and Nancy out of here. I won't be able to contain him much longer."

"Link, no! I won't leave you here!" Nancy said.

As Link collapsed to the ground, his eyes began to rapidly switch back and forth between blue and gold. Knowing that he wouldn't be able to do it much longer, he screamed,

"GO!"

Tears streaming down her cheeks, Nancy allowed Hylia to take her away, soaring over the sky. Nancy didn't think that she had actually cried that hard, since she thought her mother was dead.

As they sailed over the Golden Gate Bridge, Nancy spotted the others waving to them. As they descended onto the bridge, Percy asked,

"It's Link, isn't it? That was Kronos' master plan."

"How did you get away, Percy?" Nancy gulped.

"Hylia came and said that she would take care of everything."

"Link. He's.. He's.."

That's when Nancy completely broke down. As she knelt on the bridge, sobbing her heart out, she felt herself being picked up and hugged.

"It's okay, Nancy. We'll get Link back."

"Thanks, Tyson," Nancy sniffed.

Suddenly, a pool of black appeared on the bridge, revealing two figures, Midna and Nico.

"I hear we have a little problem." Nico said.

OOXO

Man, this is NOT GOOD. Link being controlled by Kronos, who has figured out the true power of the Triforce of Courage? Definitely not good. I'll just keep you guys in suspense, while I unveil the next chapter. Until then, please review!