Chapter Thirty
~Normal POV~
Link and Tanner stare incredulously at the man and woman chained next to the throne, who I'm pretty sure are their parents. I can see the resemblance between them. This must be a huge shock to them, bigger than anything else so far. I mean, having your parents be dead for 12 years and then suddenly finding out they're really alive? That's kind of big.
Bigger than finding out you're a video game? Debatable.
"Tanner?" Link whispers.
"Yeah little brother, it's them." Tanner replies shakily.
Ganondorf now turns to Link's parents. This is my first time seeing the Dark Lord in person, not just in a video game, and I'm not really liking the sight. He's hideous with beady black eyes and a tangled mane of blood-red hair. His looks like leather. And he's taller than normal people, like holy-crap-he's-a-skyscraper tall. "And you two! Standing there, doing nothing! Oh yes, I can see the hate in your eyes. I'm the one who took you from your precious little brats." Link and Tanner tense at that. Just one more reason to hate the Dark Lord. "Your stupid little hero. And now I plan to kill him, I'd prefer it to be ruthless, but I'll settle for a quick sword to the heart. And the other boy? He's been taken to a slave camp. I've taken your life away from you. I can tell you both hate me, but I couldn't care less. You answer to me now. And if you ever get even the slightest notion to go up against me I'll make sure that not only you, but everyone you love is killed in the most... unpleasant manner. Got it?"
Link's father stares at him defiantly. "Of course, Lord. We wouldn't think of it." He's definitely Link's father, he has that same stubborn courage thing going on. Both he and Tanner look shocked to hear their father's voice again.
"You better hope you won't think of it." Ganondorf says. He looks as if he's contemplating taunting them more, but instead he stalks off, yelling at other prisoners for various reasons.
"How do we get down there to talk to them?" Navi whispers from her perch on Link's shoulder.
"Ganondorf will go retire to the King's study, which he's made into his personal lair." Tanner answers. Zelda frowns at this. "He'll order most of the prisoners and guards out into the courtyard to work. But if... Mom... and Dad... are his personal slaves, he'll probably just keep them here. You'd think he'd take them to the study, but he doesn't let anyone in there. He does some weird stuff in there, I've heard. Lots of witchcraft. He'll leave a few guards to watch them, but we can take them out easily. Just give him a few minutes."
After yelling some more nasty things at the former residents of Castletown, Ganondorf barks at the soldiers to take them to the courtyard. He's always angry it seems. Then he storms off down the hallway, presumably to the study. But Link's parents and four other guards stay.
Link's parents whisper softly to each other. Judging by the worry lines on their faces, probably about the current whereabouts of their sons.
"Use your bow, Link." Sheik says.
Link looks a little apprehensive. "But... that would probably kill them." I smile. Becoming the Hero of Hyrule hasn't turned him into some ruthless killer, even if the person he would be killing is keeping his parents hostage. He's just not that kind of person. I think that's why the goddesses always choose him, because he's merciful. Effective without being crude.
"Not if you aim for their helmets," Sheik says pointing at the soldiers. "The arrows won't penetrate them, they're made of that crazy strong metal."
"Azurine." Zelda injects.
"Yeah, that. So if you hit them hard enough with the arrows, the metal will ring. The ringing will be too loud knock them out."
"Oh my gosh that actually works in real life?" I say. "I thought it only happens in cartoons."
Calen looks at him suspiciously. "And you know this, how?"
Sheik squirms a little under his gaze. Even under his scarf you can tell he's gone red. "None of your business, Calen."
Calen snorts. "Thought you'd say that."
"Woah, wait. You've hit guards in the head with arrows just to see if it knocked them out?" Zelda asks.
"I was 13 okay? You can't blame me. Just, don't tell your dad it was me. He doesn't need to know."
"Oh my gosh you were the one that gave that guard a concussion! Sheik, he was out for three weeks! Daddy was furious!"
"And that's why he doesn't need to know it was me!"
"Excuse me, sorry to interrupt your lovey dovey argument, but that plan won't work. Link doesn't have a bow." Tanner says, confused.
Link laughs. "Oh yeah, I haven't told you my trick yet, huh?"
"What trick?"
Link closes his eyes, and then the bow appears in his hands. He aims the arrow at Tanner with amazing speed and whispers, with a dead straight face, "Boo."
Tanner jumps and looks like he's biting back a scream. "What the... where did that come from?!" He whispers loudly.
Link smiles. "Magic." He changes his aim to one of the soldiers, and with deadly accuracy, shoots. It flies straight to the guard's head, and ringing sound of metal echos loudly through the room. The guard falls to the ground, out cold.
The other soldiers rush to his side, looking around for the source of the arrow. Link's parents stare surprised shock. Link lets another arrow go, and another guard falls to the ground. Then another. The last guard has his sword out now, staring at the balcony in fear. Link knocks him out quickly.
Link's parents stare up at us in pure fear. Calen stands up and yells down to them. "It's okay, it's me. Hi."
They relax and smile back. "That was pretty effective." Link's father says.
We climb down from the balcony, which is uncomfortably high. Link and Tanner stay back so their parents don't see them. They look terrified. I walk over to Link and grab his hand, squeezing it encouragingly. He gives me a quick smile.
Link's mother walks over and hugs Calen. "Thank goodness it's you. I thought we were going to get shot."
Calen laughs. "Sorry 'bout that Livia. Couldn't think of a better way to get rid of the guards. Guess you and Maysen must've been a little freaked out."
"That would be an understatement."
Link's father comes up and shakes Calen's hand. "It was a pretty good way to get rid of them, though. I can't tell you how many times I've wanted to do that."
"Where are Tanner and Link?" Livia asks in a worried voice. "Ganondorf keeps on talking about killing them, and about Link being some prophesied hero. He's a psycho. Are they all right?"
Calen motions to the two boys. "Ask 'em yourselves."
The couple looks at Link and Tanner in surprise. Almost like they don't recognize them. And maybe they don't, they've obviously grown a lot since ages 6 and 11. Link, who still holds my hand, looks a little nervous. A lot nervous, actually. Tanner is as white as a sheet, but he speaks first. "Hey Mom, Dad."
Livia walks over to Tanner with tears in her eyes. She pushes the hair from his forehead. "Tanner? That can't be you."
Tanner smiles, his eyes wet. "It's been a few years, Mom. I'm not 11 anymore." They hug.
She turns to Link. "Link?"
He just stares at her. I bump his shoulder with mine and he takes a deep breath. "Hi, Mom." He says quietly. I let go of his hand so he can hug her.
"Oh honey, you were just a little boy."
Link laughs a little. "I haven't been a little boy for a while, to tell the truth."
Livia laughs too. "I think I can tell."
Maysen comes over too, hugging both of his sons. "I guess we were expecting you both to be the same age as when we left. It never really hit us how old you are now."
"Old enough that Tanner has a girlfriend." Link laughs.
Maysen raises his eyebrow. "Girlfriend huh?"
Tanner shrugs nonchalantly. "I'm 23, of course I have a girlfriend."
They're all trying to be so casual it hurts. Acting like they're just a normal family making small talk, none of them really ready to come to terms with the damage 12 years has done to all of them.
Livia gestures to me. "And I'm assuming this is your girlfriend, Link?"
Both of us go red in the face. "No!" We say simultaneously. "Just friends," Link says quickly. "Definitely friends." I blurt out.
Tanner raises an eyebrow, Sheik's trying to hide a smile, and Calen has a knowing look on his face. Both Navi and Zelda are giggling behind their hands. Link's parents obviously don't believe us. My face gets warmer. Why are they all looking at us like that, with that glint in their eyes? Stop it!
Finally, after what seems like a century of an accusation staring contest, Livia sees Sheik and turns the attention away Link and I. "Sheik! Is that you?"
"Yes ma'am." Sheik smiles.
"It can't be! You're not that cute little Sheikah boy anymore!" Livia says.
Zelda walks over and takes Sheik's hand. He smiles at her. "Nope, I don't think I am."
"He's still kind of cute, though. If you look at him from the right angle." Zelda says. Sheik bumps her shoulder playfully.
Livia laughs, then curtseys. "I assume you're the princess? Congratulations on sneaking out of here."
Zelda smiles back. "I wouldn't recommend it, it's pretty terrifying."
"Pretty soon you'll be bowing to Sheik too." Link grins.
"Bowing? Him? Why?" Maysen asks.
Link explains about Sheik and Zelda's marriage, and while he's on a role, explains basically everything. Him being the Hero of Hyrule along with a reincarnation of all the great heroes of Hyrule (Livia has trouble with that), me and where I come from, him being a Triforce holder, and everything that's happened so far. He's ecstatic to be able to talk to his parents, I've never seen him ramble on like this. Tanner's the same, explaining his time as Ganondorf's prisoner. By the time they're finished they're out of breath and their parents look dazed. Admittedly that was a lot to dump on them at once.
"My son, the Hero chosen by the goddesses?" Maysen says in awe.
Livia turns towards me. "And you're from a different world entirely?"
"Yeah. Sorry it sounds kind of crazy." I answer.
"Well, that would explain your clothes." She says.
I look down at my cloths. I haven't even noticed how much I stick out from the residents of Hyrule. I have on jeans, tennis shoes, a black Doctor Who t-shirt and a light pick cardigan. Every other girl in Castletown has a dress, except for Zelda, who's still in her Sheikah disguise. How come I didn't notice it before?
Link looks like he's just noticing too. "I knew you had on strange cloths when I first met you, but I guess I've gotten used to them."
"This is just how the people from my world dress," I say. "Dresses are usually only for special occasions."
Livia smiles at me. "Well, I think it suits you nicely."
It's official, I like her.
Maysen goes over to Link and puts his hand on his shoulder. "I'm sorry we weren't there for you when you needed us."
"Dad, don't feel that way." Link says quickly. "It wasn't your fault."
"While we're on that subject, let's just get this out of the way." Tanner says tensely. "I know we've all been trying to avoid it but we need to talk about it sometime. Where have you two been for the last 12 years?"
"Why didn't you tell us you were still alive?" Link asks in a small voice.
Maysen sighs. "When the thieves attacked us I got hurt, knife wound. But I got luckier than most of the other guys who got attacked, it wasn't bad enough that I couldn't get back to the house. When I got there I found your mom being held by some of the thieves, who turned out to be some of Ganondorf's soldiers. They took us both back to Ganondorf and spread the rumor that we had been found dead. We've been personal slaves for Ganondorf ever since." He says the Dark Lord's name as if it leaves a bad taste in his mouth.
"That evil man," Livia says, suddenly angry. "I swear, if I had a rupee for every time I wanted to slap him, I'd be rich."
"Oh now Livia, I thought we were friends."
We all whip around at the sudden voice. Ganondorf, in all his horrible glory, looms over us in the doorway.
"I really hate ruining this sweet reunion," He sneers. "But the Hero and I have some important business to attend to, as I'm sure you all know."