Y'all are probably mad. I'd be mad too. I'm sorry.
Four Years Ago
Link couldn't feel his legs. He had been sitting in the same position for the better part of an hour. He sat hunched in a bush, wood flute in hand, peering through the foliage. It was not very comfortable. He couldn't risk moving though. Not while he hid in the royal gardens.
"Impa, I already know this song! Teach me something new, please." Zelda said impatiently, fidgeting with her harp.
"It's not the song I'm trying to teach you. I can tell you already know the chord progression. Your fingering is off. This is an exercise in dexterity. Now, ready your instrument."
Link readied his instrument, leaning forward in anticipation. This was a fun song. It made Link think of a carnival. Zelda began to pluck her harp. Link fingered the holes on his flute. He was impressed with her skill. Zelda could pick up a melody after only one listen. Impa was right though. She needed work on her dexterity. Her strumming was not as crisp as it should be. Link would be in the same boat if he hadn't practiced on his own before coming.
He had been visiting the royal gardens ever since he came back from Termina. Sneaking in every other day had been easy. Link could always find Zelda. He could almost... feel her.
Link found he could not stay away from her. She was all he could think about. She was an angel. Her shining blue eyes, her long golden hair. A voice that made Link's skin prickle. The way she moved. The way she moved was like a dance.
But what really got Link was the way she smiled. Her smile made Link smile. It made the world smile. Link could not imagine that smile. He had to see it.
Zelda finished the song softly, eyes glazing over as her fingers left the strings. "Good." Impa said quietly, nodding.
Zelda's eyes remained distant. "Impa. Do you ever feel like you've forgotten something? Something important?" Link's eyes widened. What?
Impa stared at the girl for a moment. "How do you mean?"
"I'm not sure. It's just, every so often, when I let my mind wander... I don't know. Never mind. Forget I mentioned it." Zelda shook her head. The breeze stirred the leaves.
Impa paused, then walked up behind Zelda, placing a hand on her shoulder. "Some things are better forgotten, my child. Do not dwell on such things."
Link heard footsteps. A man in majestic robes approached, a guard to his right, with a blond boy trailing behind them. "Father!" Zelda called excitedly.
King Harkinian nodded stiffly to his daughter. "Zelda. Come with me. I have an emissary from Burna that wishes to see you. Captain Jacob, you may have the gardens for an hour."
The king turned, Zelda and Impa following as he left the gardens. The other man and the boy remained.
The captain waited until the royals had left before turning to the boy. "Alright Lucien, what was the first thing you noticed after coming into the gardens?"
Lucien hesitated, then said "There are pictures of two foreigners inside that window." Lucien pointed to the window. The captain gave Lucien a quick smack over the head.
"Not important. What else?"
Lucien rubbed his head."Umm, I think there is a rupee wedged in that windowsill. Who would put that there?" Another quick smack.
"Not important. Come on boy."
Lucien turned slowly around, his eyes scanning the entire area. For one terrifying moment they landed on Link. But then Lucien turned to the captain and shrugged. The captain sighed, then started walking off the way they had come in. Link tried to follow him with his eyes. Link looked back at Lucien. His eyes were following the captain. They seemed to be moving towards-
"This is what you missed!" Captain Jacob yanked Link out of his bush. Link frantically flailed his limbs, trying to knock the captain's hand off him. The man tossed Link down to the ground.
Link jumped to his feet, about to sprint away from the perceptive man, when he felt metal at his throat. The man had already pulled his steel! He was unnaturally fast.
"What do we have here? A would be assassin? What do you think Lucien?"
The boy stared at Link in bewilderment. "I-" Lucien stared at the flute in Link's hand. "I think he's here for lessons."
The captain stared at the flute. He held out his hand. Link slowly put the flute in the man's hand. The captain shook it a couple times, looked inside each of the holes, then gave it a cautious blow. "It is, in fact, a flute."
"Lucien is right." Link said quietly. The sword jabbed him slightly in warning.
"Don't say my son's name, boy. Give me one good reason why I shouldn't kill you right now, given your intimate knowledge of the layout of the castle and total disregard for the laws of our kingdom."
Link looked into the man's eyes. They were green, forest green. Link smiled slightly. He wondered if this guardsman would be the one to take his life. Link doubted it. The man could, but he wouldn't. A moment passed. The captain's face twitched. "I was just here for lessons." Link said softly. He looked down.
The captain shifted. "I see."
Present
The rocks let in a few rays of sun, enough so that the lantern was no longer necessary. Zelda looked on in disbelief. They were trapped. The exit had been blocked. A pile of rocks, some larger than her, sealed them inside this goddess forsaken tunnel. Zelda's head was pounding. She sat down. Michael stood a few feet from her.
"What can we do?" Zelda began. She looked over to Michael. "How do we get out?"
Michael met her gaze. He didn't speak for a moment, then "We face our deaths with courage!" He said with gusto. "When fate gives you only one path to follow, you can only hold your head high and keep walking!"
Zelda could not believe what she was hearing. "You mean we should just accept this?" Zelda demanded. "Just let them come and take our lives?"
Michael sat down on Zelda's rock and put his arm around her waist. "You aren't letting them. You have no other choice. This is the only option left. Accept your destiny, princess. This is where you die. Where we die." He gave her a kiss on the cheek. "Come. Don't be sad. We will be with the goddesses soon. An eternity of paradise awaits us."
Zelda shrugged him away. Michael held on for a moment, then let her go. She walked away from him. "You seem very comfortable with the idea of dying, Michael." Zelda took a breath, trying to calm herself.
"Accepting death is a part of life, my dear." Michael said gently.
Zelda turned back to Michael. His brows were knit in concern. Something was not right. Michael was not religious, nor was he calm in a crisis. She felt a cold settle between her shoulder blades. Michael seemed to notice a change. "Zelda, what's wrong?" He got up from his seat and walked towards her.
She backed away, only to hit the wall of the tunnel. Michael approached her slowly, a small reassuring smile on his handsome face. "You're acting strange, my love. What has gotten into you?"
Zelda inhaled quickly. "I don't think you plan on joining me in paradise, Michael."
Michael's smile slowly formed into a grimace, then a grin. "You were always too clever for me, Princess. No, I don't plan on dying here."
Zelda slumped down the wall. Not that it really mattered at this point, but the extra betrayal seemed to make the whole situation far worse. She shook her head disbelievingly, tears running down the corners of her eyes. "Why?" She asked quietly, shakily.
Michael looked a little taken aback by her tears. He kneeled down, craning his neck to look into Zelda's eyes. "Do you remember my little brother Jorge? Skinny little fellow, always smiling? You met him when you visited Burna, two years ago. I think we went riding together. He loves to ride. Anyway, little Jorge has always been something of a plotter. He came to me with this idea not long after your visit, actually."
Michael took a breath, and smiled. " You see, he believed that instead of having to wait for my son to inherit the united crowns, I could have it myself, less than five years down the line! Now, I thought that idea was too good to be true, but as he astutely pointed out, the Burnese and Hylian royal families are hardly two families at all, and that if push came to shove I actually would have a decent claim to the Hylian throne if I could get your father's consent, and you were out of the picture. Your death would obviously satisfy the latter, but the former would take some doing. This is where my little Jorge got a little crafty with his plot. You see, in his meetings with the Ghul, he assigned them to implicate the great nation of Raush in your assassination. It makes the most sense, doesn't it? Those nasty Raushians are always trying to weaken their neighbors!"
Michael let out a little chuckle. "But now see what we've done? We give Hyrule and Burna a common enemy. We march on Raush as one. We become two nations united, taking vengeance on the demons that stole Your Shining Majesty from us. Your father and I have always been close. He started calling me son last winter at that lovely feast you threw in my honor. I don't doubt he'd name me his heir. He would give me his kingdom, Zelda. You know he would."
Michael hovered over her for a moment, expectantly. Zelda curled up into a ball. She had never felt such despair.
Link felt something.
He walked with Derrick in the woods. The light rustle of leaves and the hooting of owls echoed among the trees. But there was something else. Something awful and deep. Link turned to his right, and the world was silent for a moment. He dropped to his knees.
Derrick fell beside him. "Link!"
Link kept looking to the source of his distress. He pointed in that direction. "What lies there?"
Derrick looked in the direction he pointed, and squinted. "What? Li-"
"No. What lies there?" He repeated.
Derrick pulled out the map. He glanced at the position of the sun. "The secret tunnel's exit. Link, please, help me understand."
Link closed his eyes for a second. His head tilted slightly. He heard a few notes to a melody, and saw the shape of a smile. "Zelda is over there. She needs help."
Derrick stared at him for a moment. Link stared back. Derrick nodded. "Let's go."
They ran threw the forest as quick as their legs could carry them. Link was in excellent shape, but Derrick managed to keep pace with him. They ran for a little less than an hour.
They burst into the clearing the exit laid in. Derrick panted heavily.
Rocks covered the exit. Link sprinted to the pile. The power of the feeling had increased, and grew more distinct. A twinge of hate, and immeasurable sadness. Link jumped on the pile. "Derrick! Help me!"
Derrick ran up to the rocks. Link had begun digging the rocks out furiously. Derrick moved to help him. Their digging was frenzied.
"I will not lose her! Not again. Not ever!" Link screamed.
Zelda heard vague scraping sounds coming out of the world outside her dress. She was not interested in them. She was going to die, and her kingdom was going to suffer. Betrayed by the man she was to marry.
Zelda shook her head as fully formed thoughts began to decompose around her. She tried desperately to climb out of her sadness, to think of a way out, but she could not muster another perspective. Everything she loved was to be taken, and she was helpless. She could not begin to comprehend or process it. She was struck with the most primal sense of loss. She cried. She could not stop crying.
"Now now Princess. That's quite enough of that." A new voice. Zelda looked up. A man in black emerged from the shadows, a lantern in hand.
"Ah, finally. It took you long enough." Michael stood. "I have had to listen to this incessant weeping for hours!" The scratches were growing in intensity. Zelda glanced at the rocks.
"Yes, well, your lovely captain put up a beautiful fight, and managed to dam up the entrance to your fine little cottage with the dead. A strategy I must admit I have never seen before." The man in black cracked his neck. "All's well that ends well though." He pulled out a long, thin blade. "Now, who's first!" He said lightly.
Michael twitched. "I had not realized trained killers were capable of jokes! Just the girl, Ghul. Please make it painless. I'd hate to watch her suffer." The peculiar scratching was getting even louder. It was close.
The Ghul hummed a little, twirling his sword lazily. "I never understood why you didn't attend the meetings with your brother. Were you afraid, Michael?" Zelda stood slowly, backing toward the rock slide.
Michael shifted slightly. "What, no! Of course not! Can we please not drag this out? I grow weary of this wretched cave!"
"I'm afraid I need you to understand what is about to happen to you. You see, I'm not just here to kill Her Majesty."
Michael's eyes bulged. "What are you saying?"
The Ghul tilted his head slightly. "Jorge is such a nice boy. I suppose I can see how you let your guard down. But really, never trust a younger brother to negotiate with assassins for you. Especially if you are a prince."
There was blinding light. Zelda gasped in pain. She heard shouting, and a hand grabbed her.
Link squeezed through the hole Derrick had uncovered, plunging into darkness. Link landed a foot from Zelda, three from Michael. A partially obscured man in black recoiled from the light. Link drew his sword. The Ghul looked at him, then twisted around and ran deeper into the tunnel.
Derrick had grabbed Zelda and was in the process of pulling her out of the cave. Link kept an eye on the darkness. "Come on Michael, we are getting you out of here. Do you need any help?"
Michael, for once, was totally silent. Link glanced at him. He was pale. "Here. I'll give you a boost."
Link helped Michael out of the cave. He took one more look around. Nothing. Link grabbed Derrick's outstretched hand and was pulled out of the cave.
Zelda had gotten down from the rocks. She was breathing heavily. Link walked over to her. "Are you alright?"
Zelda shook her head. She glanced at Michael, who leaned on a tree. "He set all this up. At least some of it anyway." She said vehemently.
"It got away from you, didn't it!" She screamed at Michael. Michael looked at her, a sick look on his face. She stopped herself. She took a breath.
"Michael and his brother hired the Ghul. His brother got them to sign up to kill Michael too though." Link could not believe what he was hearing.
"What!" Link whirled around to face Michael. "You hired assassins to kill Zelda?"
Michael stared off into space.
Link walked slowly toward him. Michael did nothing. Rage darkened Link's vision. "You will die for this." Link unsheathed his sword.
The leaves rustled. A man stepped out from the tree on which Michael leaned. He was dressed as a peasant, in pale blue and white linens. His dark hair framed his smooth, tan face. Link knew the face.
"Please. Do not kill this man." perfect Hylian left his lips.
Link paused. "Derrick. That man is a Ghul."
Grim put his hands up in supplication, but Derrick drew his sword and began to walk toward him.
"You must listen. The king is dead. Their plan cannot be carried out. Let me take Michael back to Burna, so he can execute Jorge for treason. Please. I beg you."
Michael sputtered to life. "Yes! Yes, that would work!"
Zelda spoke up. "My father is... dead?"
"Do not listen to him Zelda! It's a ploy! How did you track us Ghul? What magic is this?" Link shouted.
Grim cursed. "You must listen! Do not kill this man! The pact was signed with Jorge, not Michael! It will be void if we can get this man back to Burna and have him execute Jorge! The Ghul will stop. The war won't happen. Please. Listen."
Link shook his head at that. "Why are you trying to void the pact? What war?"
Zelda spoke up. "Is... is my father really dead?"
Grim looked up at her. Derrick had stopped approaching. Grim reached slowly behind him, eyes darting between Link and Derrick. He fiddled with something behind his neck for a moment, then grabbed it from the front. He tossed it at Zelda's feet.
She gasped, and fell to her knees. Link took a look at it. It was the royal pendant. Link cursed. "You murderous fuck. You killed the king? Enough of this. Derrick, let's kill them both."
"Wait." Link looked back. Zelda stared at him, still on her knees. "My father's death would have ended the plot against the Hylian throne." She took a shaky breath, an edge creeping into her voice. "Had we been killed in that tunnel. But we are saved. We could have told my father the plot. You killed my father for nothing."
Grim shook his head furiously. "Does it matter which war this mess would have caused? I have researched your father extensively, Princess. I know his history. If there was not war in Raush, then there would have been one in Burna. I took one life to save a hundred thousand lives! Can you not see it?"
Zelda did not speak. She breathed heavily.
"Zelda, don't you see? We can stop the bloodshed! Isn't that what you want?" Michael said desperately, a shaky smile on his fat red lips.
Link could not take that. He marched toward Michael. Fury consumed him. Grim stepped forward, a blade in hand, only to narrowly dodge Derrick's sword careening towards his head. They exchanged blows for a moment, then Grim cursed and snapped his fingers. He disappeared in a burst of light and smoke.
Link hefted his sword. Michael began backing up, handsome face twisted in terror. Behind all the airs and illusions of power, he was weak. Link's lip curled in disgust. This was the lowest creature he had ever had the displeasure of killing.
Link raised his sword over the man. Michael screamed a girlish scream. Link split his head open.
END OF PART ONE
I developed quite a world for this story, and I have sort of a bare bones structure to what has happened and what is going to happen to Zelda, Link and company. Would you guys prefer me to go back or forward in time?
Let's dance the night away, baby.