Last week was one of the best weeks of my life, and it was followed up by this week being one of the worst in my life. So being able to see all of you guys' support and love is really wonderful.
Thanks to From Dust to Ashes, Kamil the Awesome, Rawr I'm a Toaster, Katia0203, Farli30519, Opal223, erico637, Shaveza, R. Recollect, A Shadow's Lament, iranda20, Sarahhof, ShadowNinja1011, SwordspiritFi9, Guest, GameCivilization, Screen, Mira Moonshine, Gojira Geek, Zeldafreak2000, WolfenAmphithere, ColdHeartedMelody, CaptainAzenor, Mangageek26, MajesticStallion, tentsubasa, MissNovel, Linkguy99, and MyouTakara for taking the time to review!
Zelink005: I'm so glad you've enjoyed my stories! Welcome on board! ;)
P.S. Thanks to those of you I contacted who left supportive reviews for mrs wagner. The bully still isn't gone, but I hope she feels better and reads the suggestions we left on how to deal with this. You all are very kind people!
Disclaimer: I don't own Zelda
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Part 1
Chapter Four
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When Zelda got a summons from her father to meet him in his bedroom just before she turned in for the night, she knew it couldn't be good. She kept on the dress she'd worn for that day, white with loose sleeves, and went down the castle corridors. Zelda bit her lip, glancing out the windows at the moon. He'd never summoned her like this before. Did he know she'd seen Link two more times? Maybe he would be understanding. Maybe he wouldn't mind.
After she'd last spoken to Link Zelda had gone into a fitful sleep, wondering what to do. She'd slept in the next morning, causing her maids to fuss. She'd gone on a brisk walk to wake herself up, the day warm and bright. After lunch she'd read. When she couldn't pay attention to her fiction story, she decided to refresh herself in Hyrule's history books, but her mind had still wandered. What to do about the Triforce. What to do about Karane. What to do about Link.
She'd tried body painting after supper, but hadn't been satisfied with any of her designs and had washed all of them off. She'd just been about to go to bed when a servant had knocked on the door, telling her that the King wished to see her in his chambers.
Worry gnawed at her as she turned a corner, drawing ever closer to her father's room. Maybe it was nothing. Maybe he just wanted to remind her to make a decision tomorrow. Maybe he wanted to remind her to stay away from Link, not realizing she'd already disobeyed. Maybe-
Stop, Zelda! she told herself, taking a calming breath. Just stop. See what he has to say, and then react.
She came to his door, the guards on either side giving her a nod. She knocked, calling out, "Dad, it's me!"
"Come in," he responded, his voice stern.
She felt her gut clench up. She swallowed a tight throat as she entered the large room. It was mostly dark, the king only having a few candles lit in his seating area. It consisted of two brown sofas with a low table in between. Daphnes was seated in one, still in his royal regalia. He gestured across from him. "Sit."
Oh . . . no . . . Zelda gave a shaky smile and sat down, smoothing her dress. "What do you need?"
His brow furrowed, his frown deepening. "You know exactly what this is about, Zelda."
She hesitated, not wanting to incriminate herself. " . . . Do I?"
"Tell me the truth, did you go down to see that criminal two more times?"
And there it was. Zelda felt herself deflate, her face burning. "I . . . Yes, I did."
"Zelda!" he stood, throwing his arms out and causing her to flinch. "I warned you! I told you! You were only allowed to see him once!"
"Once wasn't enough!" she protested. "He wasn't being cooperative. I thought I'd coerce him further. Try to build up trust."
"Trust?" he spat the word out, fury pounding from him. "He is a criminal. Scum. Your job wasn't to get his trust it was to get a handle on who he is. Why your Triforce supposedly wanted you to spare him."
"Supposedly?" Zelda gasped, taken aback. "So you don't believe me now? You think I'm lying?"
"I don't know what to think! I can't believe you would go behind my back like that. If the guards hadn't reported to me, there's no telling how long you would have entertained this-this . . . affair!"
Zelda made a mental note to get revenge on those guards before standing up, putting her hands on her hips. "I'm not infatuated by Link. I'm not going down to the dungeons to flirt or forge a relationship with him. I've gone to find out the truth. And Dad-" He turned away, huffing, so she stepped closer and continued, "Dad, he's running from someone. Someone he fears more than the army. Someone that has been trying to kill him for so long he didn't even mind that he was going to be executed."
Daphnes partially turned to her, glaring. "And he told you all this, did he?"
"He let things slip. I put the pieces together and when I asked him he admitted it."
"And he's known for being truthful."
"You are being unfair," Zelda objected. "I did what I thought was best to find the truth in all this."
"But you didn't consult me first. Why was that?" When she didn't immediately respond, he continued, "Because you knew I'd say no. Why have you started to defy me? The body paint is one thing, but this?"
Zelda grabbed her hair, aggravated. "I'm sorry, okay! I'm just so confused and upset. I want this mess over with as much as you do."
"Oh, it's going to be over," Daphnes stated, fully turning to face her. "I'll make sure it is. We'll forget this mishap ever happened. Tomorrow we'll finish off that boy's execution. And you are not permitted to come."
"No!" Zelda exclaimed. "No, Dad, you can't! He can't die!"
"He deserves no less," the king growled. "And he's somehow worked his way into your mind and turned you against me. If there really was something special about him, either we would have already found out, or it's long dead now. He dies, and pays for his crimes, and then our lives will go on as usual."
"No-!"
"That is my command!" he roared, startling her so much she recoiled. "Now get out and go to your room!"
Zelda turned on her heel and fled, tears springing to her eyes.
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LoZ
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Link was sprawled on his back on the dungeon floor, staring vacantly up at the ceiling. It reminded him of the extended period he'd spent in the prison before the execution. He hated the boredom. He hated being confined to such a small space. He was meant to roam, of that he was certain. He'd done some pushups earlier and had jogged in place. It had helped get his blood going and eased his restlessness, but the urge to just run and run and run was still there. Most of all he missed being outdoors. The sun on his face and the wind in his hair. The world big and open around him. He hadn't been outside since Captain Karane had first captured him. Even the execution chamber had been mostly closed in.
I hate this, he thought. Not for the first time and he doubted it would be the last.
He puzzled over Zelda's questions, her thoughts, what she wanted of him. She was interesting, to say the least. Most would have left him by now. Obviously she didn't like to be wrong. Part of him wanted her to just leave him alone. Another part of him wanted her to keep asking.
That will probably be the last time you see her, Link, he told himself. She has better things to do than try to save a prisoner who says he doesn't want to be saved.
His mouth twisted to the side, thinking his words to her over, when his vision focused on something above him. A black fuzzy dot, closer to him than the ceiling. He blinked, squinted, and saw that it was a black spider coming down from a line of web.
Link bolted out from under it, slamming his back hard into the wall. His heart was in his throat as he stared at the arachnid that descended to the ground. Then, growling, he lifted up his black boot and stomped on it, leaving a red smear on the already dirty floor.
It's okay, it's okay, he thought, panting, glancing around his cell. This is a basement dungeon, of course there will be spiders. Nothing scary here.
It felt too dark suddenly, the torch some yards away seemed dimmer. He was tensed, every muscle pulled taut and his jaw clenched. Wide eyes darted back and forth, looking for danger. Just as he thought everything was fine, another black spider scurried into his cell from the shadows. He quickly lashed his foot out and killed it, his throat tight.
Another spider followed that one.
Oh, no . . . Link thought, dread gripping him in an icy fist.
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Zelda walked as quickly as she could without running down the halls, her expression set. The layers of her dress ruffled back from her speed. She had thrown on a soft tan cloak. The castle was mostly closed up for the night. She was alone, and she knew she needed to act fast.
She wouldn't let her father execute Link. She wasn't sure what was the right thing to do in regards to the young criminal, but she knew that was not it. She didn't know what she'd say or do. She had no plan. But if she didn't act tonight, she might never get another chance. The princess was thinking that freeing him might be the best option, even if she never saw him again and even if she got in trouble. She'd have to feel the situation out once she got to the dungeons.
Zelda turned a corner and pulled back, her heart skipping a beat. A soldier was lying on the floor, and blood was pooling around him.
"Oh . . ." Her hand flew to her mouth and she rushed over to the man. "Sir? Sir?"
He was dead, his throat slit. Bile rose in the back of her throat and she looked away. She glanced around the hall, but there was no one else here, and no sign of a struggle. She could see the steps leading down to the dungeons up ahead.
Zelda stood up and went over to them, peering down. Gathering her courage, she began to descend, picking up speed as she went. Either this was the work of Link or an associate of his, or whoever was after him had found him.
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Jon was sitting in his simple room, small and square with a large wooden desk for him to keep track of paperwork. As a senior soldier, he was given more responsibilities. This often led to his desk being cluttered with work, but he was an organized man. He was just going through the stacks by lantern light when urgent knocking sounded at his door.
"Jon! Jon!" he heard Kev shout.
The old man quickly stood up, opening the door. "Yes? What's wrong?"
"I have no idea!" Kev was panting from an obvious run. "But it's not good. One of our guards at the drawbridge is dead, the other one was found dead next to the entrance doors along with one of those guards."
Jon frowned. "One of the entrance door guards? Where is the second?"
Kev shook his head. "I have no idea. We have soldiers looking. What's even stranger is that there's no sign of any struggle. All of the dead have had their throats slit, but that's their only injury. None of them even had their weapons drawn."
Jon turned and grabbed his sword. "Let's go find out what is going on."
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Link heard the commotion at the entry to the dungeons as it echoed down the dank corridor. He stood up, hurrying over to the door on his cell. He starting shaking it, hoping it would be weak and break.
"Hey, what are you down here for?" he heard one soldier ask.
"Just patrolling," another answered.
Link bit his lip, sticking his fingers into the lock, hoping to force it to open. Another spider crawled around his feet. A second was coming down from the ceiling.
"Really?" the first soldier questioned. "Do I get to go on break then?" The next sound he made was a sickening gurgle before the noise of his body hitting the ground sounded.
Link shook the lock in panic, the bars rattling. A spider was on his arm and he swatted it off.
"What the bloody-" a guard began before his voice was cut off, too. There was the noise of a quick skirmish, the curses of some of the prisoners near the entry, and then the steady noise of footsteps coming closer.
Link stepped away from the bars, breathing hard. His mind raced with ideas on how to escape this. He backed all the way to the wall . . . and then sat down, leaning his head back and closing his eyes.
He listened to the rhythmic noises of the steps until they stopped in front of his cell. There was an extended moment of silence. Inside his body was rushing with adrenaline, but he forced the outside to look as calm as possible. He heard the long creeeeeaaak of his cell door opening.
"You, criminal," he heard a male soldier's voice say.
Link tiredly opened his eyes, blinking a few times. "Good morning. Are they sending me back to the noose?"
The soldier grunted. "The princess said you're free to go."
"She did?" he jumped up, looking as eager as he could. "She said she'd come through for me, I just didn't believe it."
"Yeah, well, you better get out of here before the king's mind changes."
"Yeah, yeah. Just hold on, I have to-" And Link went on the attack. He plowed into the soldier, driving his elbow into the man's neck. Keeping his arm between them, he spun around and then kicked the soldier in the back, sending him stumbling into the cell. Then he grabbed the door and slammed it shut, turned on the balls of his feet, and ran.
Other prisoners shouted to him as he raced past. He saw the dead bodies of the guards up ahead, and he slowed just enough to yank a sword from one soldier's scabbard. He was about to bound up the curving dungeon steps when he collided into someone who was running down. They both fell with a shout.
Link sat up abruptly and saw Zelda doing the same, holding a hand to her head. They made eye contact and said in unison, "We have to leave!"
"Did you kill these people?" the princess asked, climbing to her feet.
"Glad you think so highly of me!" he exclaimed, hurrying past her and up the stairs. He glanced back and saw she was following. "What are you doing?"
"I came to help you escape!" she panted, holding up her dress. "My father didn't like me seeing you two more times and decreed you're to be executed tomorrow."
He thought about this for a moment, hurrying up the steps, before he smirked back at her. "That's the coolest thing you've ever said." Then he frowned. "And no, I haven't killed anyone. It was . . . someone else."
"The person who is after you?" Zelda prompted.
He looked back ahead, sighing. "Yeah. She's found me again."
They reached the top of the steps and Link almost tripped over the dead soldier at the top, stumbling. He glanced around, quickly taking in his surroundings, before looking back to Zelda. "Where can I get rupees in here?"
Her jaw dropped. "You want to steal rupees from my castle?"
"Well, yeah. I can't run away broke."
She hesitated, then her shoulders dropped and she pointed. "I'll let you have some of mine from my room. Follow me."
She began to walk quickly, but he came up close behind her, complaining, "Faster, woman! We're in a time crunch, here."
"I can't in these shoes," she protested, picking up her pace.
"Take them off! Do you want us to get caught?"
She fumed, tired of him already, but she stepped out of her heels and started running. They went down the corridor and up a flight of stairs. Once Link grabbed her shoulder and halted her, listening, before he decided it was safe to proceed. She noticed he was always looking over his shoulder, and watching both sides. After a few more minutes they exited into the hall her room was in and she opened the door. Link ushered her inside hurriedly and shut the door behind him. "Alright, give me some money."
Zelda scowled at him, going over to her dresser and opening the bottom drawer. "I don't know why I'm doing this for you. You're nothing but a pain. And if my father found out I gave you- Hey!" She cried out as he wrapped an arm around her torso and tossed her onto the bed. He crouched by her open drawer and grabbed a few high-value rupees, putting them in his pocket.
"There," he stated, turning around and smirking at her, "I took away any guilt you might have. Now where's the closest exit?"
"There's a side exit I can take you to," she answered, sitting up. "You should be able to avoid the guards."
"It might be best if you just stay in your room. You know, so you don't get in trouble."
She waved her hand dismissively. "I intend to make sure you get safely out of this castle. You've caused me enough problems already, so I want this mess cleaned up completely."
Link sighed, gesturing to the door. "Lead on, Princess."
They started running through the halls again, Zelda leading him to a little-used exit from the castle. She thought she heard panicked voices a few times, and once Link yanked her around a corner to hide as two soldiers ran past. But eventually they came to a heavy wooden door bolted shut at the end of a long hallway.
"This is it," Zelda whispered, pulling up the metal bolt. "This will take you outside the castle. You'll need to sneak by the outer wall to get into Hyrule Castle City. You should be good from there."
"Thanks," he gave a quick nod.
"Is that . . . woman who is after you still in our dungeons?"
He shook his head. "If she still is, she won't be for long. I have to get out of here. What's the easiest way to get past the outer wall?"
"Well if you go about twenty yards along . . ." she sighed. "You know what, I'll just take you into the city." She pulled the hood of her cloak up.
"Very incognito," he laughed.
Giving him a glare, Zelda opened the door and the two were suddenly face-to-face with a group of Hyrule's soldiers. She recoiled, gasping, as the soldiers mirrored her, stunned.
Link's arm shot around her torso, yanking her close to him, while the other held a sword against her throat. "Nobody move or she dies!" When one of the soldiers reached for his weapon Link jerked her bodily, causing her to cry out. "Are you deaf Sir Shining Armor? I said don't move!"
The soldier retreated, looking grim. They all watched with narrowed eyes, bodies tensed to strike, as Link snaked his way out of the castle and gave them a wide berth, still holding the sword against Zelda's neck. She could feel his heart pounding into her back.
Link stayed aware of his surroundings. No other soldiers were in this section, and no archers were on the battlements yet. He needed to move fast or he wouldn't be able to escape. He spotted a horse a few yards away and began heading towards it. The moonlight shone off of the men's armor and the blade in his hand.
"Princess," he whispered to her, "we're going to jump onto that horse so help me out here. I don't want to accidentally cut your head off."
She nodded, feeling anxiety gnaw at her.
As the soldiers became aware of his plan, a few moved forward. Link twitched his sword arm warningly, and they halted. He could smell the horse as he backed up next to it. Then in one fluid movement he turned, put his foot in one of the stirrups, grabbed the saddle with his sword hand, and got both him and Zelda on top within a second. She stifled a cry, turning to hold on tightly to him since she was seated in front.
Link kicked the horse, shouting, and the animal took off. He glanced back once to see two of the soldiers running after him, the others going inside the castle to raise the alarm. He stuck the sword through his belt so he'd have both free hands and snapped the reins, having the horse pick up speed.
They charged past the outer gate and into the city. He expertly weaved through a maze of narrow cobbled streets, and any Hylians out at this time hurried and got out of the way. Lantern light shone from some windows, and wooden signs swung in the breeze. A dog barked as they thundered past an alley.
Zelda watched her city fly by with wide blue eyes. The buildings rose up tall around her, and the castle was going further and further away. She was in such a state of nervousness, having been worried about getting Link out, his pursuer being in the castle, and then the run in with the guards, that she hadn't fully processed what was happening. But as Link drove the horse out of the city and into Hyrule Field, Zelda realized it would be a long time before she saw Hyrule Castle again.
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LoZ
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King Daphnes sat back in his throne, his shoulders hunched and rubbing the bridge of his nose. It was the next morning, and hazy sunlight shone in from the windows. "Are you . . . certain, Captain?" He knew that was a silly question. He just couldn't believe what he'd heard.
Karane nodded, staring up at him with a hard expression. "A handful of guards murdered with their throats slit. Link is missing and so is your daughter."
Jon spoke up, standing next to her, "I sent some men to patrol close to the castle because of the dead bodies we were finding. Your Majesty, they witnessed Link holding Princess Zelda hostage and using her as a shield to escape on a horse. He took her with him."
"Is she in any danger?" the king asked the captain.
Her mouth twisted sideways as she thought. "Unlikely . . . he has no history of kidnapping and torturing or murdering. But I'd be more concerned about the places and the people he'd take her around, if it's his intention to keep her close."
"How did he break out?" Daphnes demanded.
Jon shrugged. "We found one of our guards in his cell with the door locked. He's dead, murdered with his own weapon. It almost looks as if he committed suicide. We're not sure what happened. Everyone who was killed . . . there was no struggle. None of them even had their weapons drawn."
"Captain, tell me what is going on. Explain all this," the king growled. He was frustrated and he was afraid. He wanted Zelda safe and home. It no longer mattered that she'd disobeyed and went to see Link again. All that mattered was getting her back.
"It's a puzzler, Your Majesty," Karane confessed. "No one seems to know who did this. None of us saw anybody suspicious in or around the castle. There were no break-ins, no fights. Nothing was stolen, nothing was destroyed, and except for the guards no one else was murdered. Whoever it was wasn't looking to take over the castle or trying to assassinate anyone. We only have two people that fled the castle: Link and the Princess. Either Link was the target of this attack and he ran, or whoever did this came to help free him."
Daphnes took a long breath to try to calm himself. He looked at Karane and Jon in turn. "I want my daughter brought home. Go find her. I don't care what measures you have to take, and I least of all care what happens to Link. Just bring Zelda back."
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LoZ
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The room in the inn wasn't as bad as Zelda had thought it would be. It sure was a shabby place from the outside. Located in the middle of nowhere in Hyrule Field, only accessible by a narrow dirt road that wound through a patch of trees. She'd had to walk that distance bare foot. Link had gotten rid of their horse after they'd ridden for a few hours. Link had promised they'd spend the night here, but other than that the two hadn't talked. She wasn't happy, and it seemed he wasn't either. Currently he was leaning in the corner of their small, one-bed room, his arms crossed and tapping his foot as he glared at her. She sat in an uncomfortable wooden chair, messing with her hands.
"This is a fine mess you've gotten me into," he complained, finally speaking.
She snapped a look at him. "Excuse me? I helped you escape. It's a fine mess you got me into! Why did you kidnap me?"
"Oh, please, it's not like you're in any danger. What was I supposed to do? You led me right into the arms of soldiers. I had to act fast. You were conveniently there. Never kidnapped anybody before, especially not royalty." A smile ghosted across his face. "I can add something new to my list of crimes."
"It's not like I knew the soldiers were there, nobody is ever outside that door," she grumbled. "Probably some trouble your pursuer stirred up. Why didn't you just backtrack into the castle? We could have found another way out."
"I can tell you haven't escaped from many places before," he observed. "If I'd gone back into that castle, they would have let everyone know I was running and blocked off all other exits. I would have been trapped."
Zelda scoffed. "So what, you except me to now go gallivanting off with you through Hyrule?"
"Certainly not, I can't stand you. I'm heading for Trash City. Once we reach there, I'll arrange for you to get safe passage back to the castle, Princess. Then you can spin whatever story you like about what happened. Can you cooperate with me until then?"
She thought about this, then nodded her agreement.
"Good." He pushed off the wall, going to sit on the bed. It creaked under his weight. "Now what to do . . . I'm sure your kingly father will send people after me. We'll have to move fast and be sneaky. But we can do it. Or, rather, I can do it."
Zelda shrugged. "You do have plenty of experience running. Will she be coming after you?"
His blue eyes took on a faraway look. "She's always after me."
"I wish you'd tell me what is going on. Why she wants to kill you."
He glanced over at her. "She doesn't want to kill me."
"But . . . you said –"
"No, I didn't. You drew your own conclusion there."
"Then what does she want?" When he didn't respond, staring at his boots, Zelda pressed, "Link, please tell me. I can help you. I'm royalty, I'm powerful. I have the Triforce of Wisdom."
He gave a soft smile, seeming genuinely touched. "That's . . . kind of you to want to help. But I've been searching for a way out my whole life and haven't found it yet."
The princess scooted to the edge of the chair, leaning closer to him, and pleaded, "Who is she? Tell me who is the woman that's hunted you all these years?"
He was silent for several seconds, and so still that she didn't think she'd get an answer. But at last he replied softly, "Her name is Veran . . . Veran, the Sorceress of Shadows."
Zelda blinked, surprised. "A sorceress?"
He looked pointedly at her. "A powerful one."
"I've never heard of her. And at the castle I didn't see anybody that looked like one."
"You wouldn't have. Veran can possess people's bodies. That's what the dead soldiers were about. She possessed one after the other to make her way down to the dungeons, and killed them all so no one could witness. Just like the Kakariko Village fires. She jumped into many different bodies that night, starting fires everywhere at once."
Zelda's mind was reeling, shocked by this knowledge. Shocked that someone so dangerous could be causing havoc in her country and no one knew about it. "And what does she want with you?"
Link seemed tired as he answered, "She wants to possess me, and use my abilities to conquer Hyrule."
"So you are someone special? My Triforce wasn't wrong."
"Veran seems to think so."
"Link . . ." Zelda stood up, crossing the space to sit next to him. She was tempted to touch his arm in a comforting gesture, but couldn't quite do it. "I'll think over this, and do what I can to help. Not just for you, but to rid Hyrule of this evil."
He smiled at her, but his eyes betrayed his disbelief.
Both exhausted, it wasn't long before they turned in for the night. Link didn't put up a fuss and just slept on the floor, using one of the bed's spare pillows. Zelda curled up on the hardest mattress she'd ever felt, covered up with the thin blanket, and closed her eyes. Her mind was active with all that happened, but due to the intense escape from the castle she fell asleep instantly.
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For those who don't know – and I hope you do! – Veran is the major villain from the game Oracle of Ages.
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