(ZGen) The Darksky Storm [T]

Here it is at last. The story referenced in my artwork. This is just the Beta version of chapter 1, so glitches may exist.

THE DARKSKY STORM
or
THE LEGEND OF ZELDA: THE DARK SKY MANUSCRIPT v2.0

Before the beginning-A few notes:
1. On character appearances: Link and Zelda are both sporting their Twilight Princess costumes and hairstyles, etc. with a few changes. Link no longer has the chainmail undergarment and he now wears the Ocarina of Time on a leather cord around his neck. Zelda's costume remains fairly true to design, with the only change being the removal of the shoulder armor. Most of the other characters will have new costumes as well, and I will be posting links to artwork I'm doing of them. (Don't worry. This is not a lame attempt by myself to avoid describing the characters in my story. Each character will be described to the best of my ability when they appear.) You kinda get the idea that I'm really picky about people knowing what my characters look like. That is the totally correct impression. I have these awesome costume designs in mind, and what good would it do if you wonderful people couldn't see 'em.
2. On the geography/world map: This gets a tiny bit confusing. I'll address this in full at some point in the plot itself, but for those who don't quite get it, I will post links to my renderings of the map itself. The only thing I should really say to clear up any confusion, and I'll try to say it without any spoilers. Forget what Wind Waker told you about the land under the Great Sea. In this story, it's just not true.
I've talked long enough. So, without much further ado, please enjoy the "director's cut" of The Darksky Manuscript.

~----+----~

Chapter 1: Sunsets on Hyrule

--0--

The glowing orb of bright orange flame began its slow descent below the distant horizon. As it completed its arc through the heavens it threw the objects on the distant union of land and sky in sharp relief. A figure in his mid-teens stood watching the sun sinking through gleaming purple eyes that seemed never to blink. He wore a a black tunic, open at the front, that fell past his knees over a dark grey tunic and leggings. A black leather belt was fastened around his waist, and gauntlets and boots of the same material and color adorned his arms and legs. The boots were thin and laced up in a v-shape starting at the ankles. His dark clothing offset his hair, which was a pure silver, dyed shinning yellow by the sun's last rays. He had an angular face that was, at the same time, soft and gentle and skin as pale as the moon. A single silver lock of his shoulder-length hair fell across his violet eyes, and he raised a partially gloved hand to brush it away. Something was troubling him.

The sun had sunk halfway bellow the horizon now, giving the shapes in the distant desert form in the teen's eyes. He could see the Desert Colossus clearly... His eyes widened as he realized what was wrong. There had been something missing, and now he knew what.

"The sandstorm is gone. The wind in the desert has stopped." His voice was cool and his words seemed to resonate in the suddenly still air. From his vantage point on the flat stone roof of the Gerudo Fortress, it was clear that he was right, and he wondered how he had failed to notice it before. He retreated back into the fortress, and one of the Gerudo guards on duty distinctly heard him murmur to himself, "Something is rotten in the state of Hyrule..."

===0===

The western face of Hyrule Castle glowed in the light of the setting sun. Link stood out on a balcony that led into his chambers, watching the sun's spectacular show. He wore his usual green tunic over a white shirt that laced up at the collar. His hat lay on the bed in his room, removed after a day of sweating in the late-spring sun. The chain-mail garment that he sometimes wore was gone too, he had not worn it since the last battle reenactment in the castle courtyard. His brown leather boots were at the foot of his bed, his off-white pants still wrinkled from the boots trapping them most of the day. Link had removed his gauntlets as well. He was looking west, his blue eyes half open, a look of dreamy unconcern on his face.

He was 16 now. It had been one year since he and Zelda had sealed Ganondorf away in the sacred realm forever. At the same time, it seemed as though it had been eight years, since Link had gone back to being eight years old again. He often joked about having to live half his life over again. Jokes which Zelda always defused by reminding him that the Master Sword had pulled him seven years ahead instead of eight. This had started as soon as Link had turned Sixteen, at the start of the spring season two months before. Link let out a yawn that ended in a contented sigh. Life had been remarkably good to him for the past few years. Granted, there was his trip to Termina, which had been an unqualified disaster, but it could have been much, much worse. He grinned a little as he looked over at the far wall of his comfortably appointed room, where the four transformation masks he had acquired still hung. They we useless now, of course, they would no longer fit on his face, but Link kept them anyway.

Link let his gaze wander out towards the brilliant sunset. Clouds had begun to roll in from the Wastes in the north, and Link could smell rain in the air. A cool breeze chilled him, and he retreated from his balcony, shutting the large windowed doors as he went. He made the rounds in his room, shutting the windows against the night rain. Link shivered again, rubbing his arms out of habit. He crossed to his fireplace and took a box of flint and tinder from the mantle and went to work lighting a fire in the stone fireplace. The dry logs caught quickly and Link replaced the tinderbox on the mantle. He opened a small window to the right of the chimney and stuck his upper torso out. The sun was almost set, clouds now covered most of the sky and the wind had really picked up. Link pulled on a light chain that lowered a screen over the chimney top, so smoke could still get out, but rain couldn't get in and douse the fire. Link hurriedly returned to his room and shut the window. He took a long thin wooden rod from a box on top of the fireplace and touched the end to the fire. The match-like head caught almost at once and Link carried it over to the oil lamp hanging from the ceiling in the center of the room. He lit wick and turned up the oil, so that the lamp illuminated the mid-sized room as brightly as a modern-day lightbulb. There was a knock on the door of the chamber and Link opened it, letting his guest in.

===0===

The hyrule town market was crowded with people buying supplies and hurrying to get home before the storm struck. The happy mask salesman could be seen nailing boards over his shutters to keep out the storm, and the burly owner of the Bazar was helping the last customers of the day load two particularly heavy barrels onto their wagon. The whole town had heard of the coming storm, and they had been told it was going to be a fierce one. Children were excited, adults were troubled. The old men just sat and reminisced about storms from their past, while the Grand Mas tried to keep their grandchildren under control. In all the excitement, no one even noticed the young man with silver hair making his way across the market. He stopped, just before the gates of Hyrule Castle and looked up. The clouds were gathering overhead, and it seemed as though night had decided to set early. He hurried on, unimpeded by the guards. He greeted them traditionally as he passed, and they returned the greeting, unaware of exactly who he was. He paused again before the great doors of the castle, then entered with a purposeful stride.

Link and Zelda stood in the Great Hall, conversing with King Hallomin. The kings face showed uncharacteristic concern as the conversation turned to the subject of the storm.

"I don't like the warning signs we've been receiving." He said bluntly. "The winds have blown out of the Wastes for the past week or so. That always bodes ill. And with this storm coming up on us, we cannot afford to take any chances." He concluded. Zelda spoke up, explaining for Link's benefit.

"The last time we had this much wind from the Wastes was the night Ganondorf seized the castle. I fear another event of similar consequence is brewing." Zelda's voice betrayed her inner discomfort at the events swelling up around them, even though her face was calm as always. Link admired how she remained that way, even then. He crossed slowly to one of the high windows in the hall, looking out at the billowing storm clouds overhead. As he turned away, a pair of serving men swung heavy wooden shudders over the glass to keep the hall closed. The men were on the verge of placing a long wooden plank in the oak double doors at the foot of the hall to keep them closed when the doors burst open. A gust of wind blew into the room and with it came the young man with silver hair, a black velvet cloak draped around his shoulders.

His was a face Link had not seen in a long time. Eight years, to be precise. His hair had grown longer, his body and face thinner and his features paler and more gentle, but the same violet eyes still burned with unwavering resolve. Link, following his instinct, grabbed a rapier from the wall and charged at him. The young man discarded his cloak and drew a pair of gleaming swords with dark hilts from behind his back. Link made a long slash at him with the rapier, but the young man simply countered it with one of his swords, slicing the blade clean in two. Link was left staring dumbstruck at the useless hilt he held in his hand. The king's voice rang out in the hall.

"Link! Have you lost your mind?! What is the meaning of this?!" He asked. Link continued to stare at the young man, who had surprisingly sheathed his swords at his hips.

"This, your Majesty," Link replied "Is Dark Link." The young man lowered his eyes but said nothing.

"I'm afraid I don't understand." The king said. Zelda knew what Link meant, He had of course told her the story of the battle in the Water Temple.

"How.... Why..... Why are you here? What do you want?" Zelda demanded, speaking straight to Dark Link. Dark looked up at the king and his daughter and then over at Link. He spoke in a calm, cool voice most unlike Link had heard from him before.

"I want to be here when it happens." He said vaguely. Zelda glared at him.

"Can you please be more specific?" She asked through her clenched teeth. Dark cast a glance around the room.

"I wish to be here when the storm hits. It will be safe here." He explained calmly, as though it was a matter of small importance. "This storm will ravage this land, and it would benefit everyone to flee to the safely of their homes, or this castle." Link's eyes opened wide at this last statement. A shock of fear went through him. Something huge was about to happen. He could tell from listening to the tone of Dark's voice. Although it was calm and cool, Link detected a note of something else there. Something that sent shivers down his spine: Dark was scared. It was there, the shadow of a frightened undertone, but it was there. Dark was afraid of whatever was about to happen. And this was reason enough for Link.

"Everyone should take refuge here at once!" Link exclaimed. King Hallomin and Princess Zelda looked at him incredulously.

"You don't mean to say you actually believe him?!" The king sputtered.

"He's got more sense about him than either of you at present." Dark's voice was sharp. It jolted Zelda's senses a little, and she looked at Link. Their eyes met, and they shared the understanding, for in his last speech, Zelda had heard it as well. A terrible fear of what was about to happen. She crossed down from the dais on which the throne of Hyrule stood and looked into Dark's eyes.

"Link believes you, and I believe you, but I still have a few questions." She said in a tone as calm as Dark's. "I just want to know one thing. What reason do we have to trust you? How do we know that you have really turned against Ganondorf?" Dark said nothing, but merely pulled back his long silver hair to reveal his ears. Zelda let out a little gasp and even Link felt a stab of pity. Where the tips of Dark's pointed ears should have been there was nothing. His ears had been rounded off, so that he almost looked like a gerudo. The skin at the top of his ears was horribly scarred and dried blood remained in a few places. Dark let his hair fall back around his face, hiding the damage from view.

"Ganondorf did that to me after I failed to destroy the Hero of Time in the Temple of Water." He explained quietly. "Even I have emotions, and even I can feel pain. As much as I disliked Link for defeating me, I hated Ganondorf for causing more pain than I have felt before or since. One hatred subsided over time." He glanced at Link. "The other did not. I was there when the castle fell, and I watched that scene with a certain gratification. I went into hiding in Gerudo Valley shortly thereafter. The gerudos have always been kind to me. But I swore that if it ever seemed as though Ganondorf was attempting to return, I would try my best to warn you, Link and make sure that he did not succeed."

Link surveyed Dark with skeptical eyes. His speech had seemed heartfelt, if a little melodramatic, but then again he was almost Link's clone, and Link and a tendency to be melodramatic himself in situations like this. He wanted to believe him, but at the same time, he didn't like the implications of trusting him. Dark's cryptic behavior heralded another onset of evil on Hyrule and Link knew that they were not ready for such a thing. He sighed and came to his conclusion. If there was a threat, ignoring it would almost certainly be a fatal mistake. If it was powerful enough to make Dark afraid, Link knew it had to be dealt with.

"What can you tell us about what's going to happen?" Link asked Dark. His tone was quite different, as though he were speaking to a friend instead of an old enemy. "Can you tell us who's behind this? Is it Ganondorf?" Dark shook his head.

"No, not him." he answered. "You would know if he had returned. I would know. The Dragmire King has ways of binding himself to anyone who has served him in any way." He shuddered, as if recalling something painful and unpleasant. King Hallomin, however, rose to his feet.

"I don't know where this sudden twist in your allegiances comes from, but if Link and my daughter trust you, that is enough for me. Link, order the guards to sound a general alarm, and bring everyone into the castle who cannot make it to their houses." Link bowed and left the room, beckoning Zelda to follow. The princess glanced up at her father and he nodded.

===0===

As soon as Link and Zelda were out of the Hall, they broke into a run, sprinting as fast as they could towards the nearest guardhouse. The rain had begun to fall by then, and the grounds around the castle were slippery with mud. Link and Zelda both fell more than once, but they were back on their feet again instantly. Upon reaching the well-lit and well-heated guardhouse, Link banged on the door, and was raising his fist to knock again when the door was opened. The bearded man who answered stood there looking confused at the sight of the Princess and her companion, both soaking wet, one with his fist raised, looking as though he were about to beat the door in. But Link spoke first, and all thoughts of these oddities were driven from the guard's head.

"Sound the general alarm." Link ordered. "Evacuate everyone to Hyrule Castle. King's orders." The man looked at him for a moment, then turned to his younger partner.

"Sound the general alarm." The elder instructed. He turned back to Link and raised his right hand to his chest in the traditional Hylian salute. Link returned the gesture and then he and Zelda disappeared into the night. By then, the sounds of deep bass horns were resounding all over Hyrule Town, and people were beginning to move slowly towards the castle, just visible through the rain. The lit windows drew the stragglers with the promise of warmth and shelter. But they would be more grateful for it in the next twelve hours than they could possibly imagine.

===0===

Dark stood waiting for the people to arrive at the great entrance to the castle hall. Link and Zelda stood close by, watching him with apprehensive eyes. The first wave came, and Dark helped them inside, assisting those who could not climb the steps on their own; the elderly, the very young and the crippled. As the second wave began to come, a crack of thunder and a bolt lightning spilt the sky above them. Link heard Dark call to him over the noise of the storm.

"Help me get them inside! There isn't much time left!" Link began to help all those who needed it and Zelda ran to see how many more were coming.

"This is the last of them!" She cried over the storm.

"Bring them all in!" Link responded. He grabbed one of the last stragglers, a young boy who was trying in vain to get up the steps, and dashed inside. He heard Zelda run in after him and then a boom as the heavy oak doors of the hall were pulled shut. Dark hurried into the center of the room with Link and Zelda. As they stood together, a young girl with long red hair came up to Zelda.

"What's going on?" She asked in a frightened tone. "Why did they call us in here?"

"I don't know, Malon." Zelda responded distantly. Malon stood next to her and looked up at the ceiling. Dark was also looking around nervously.

"Douse the torches." He said to Link. "We need to pass the word for quiet." Link nodded and set out along with his shadow self to darken the hall and quiet the people. Slowly, the long room became darker and the conversation fell to light whispers here and there. Link and Dark returned to the circle in the center of the room. Malon clutched at Zelda's arm as another crack of thunder echoed in the hall.

"I'm scared Zel." She whispered tremulously. Zelda squeezed her hand.

"I know, Mal. So am I." She answered. Dark hushed them as another, louder crack of thunder reverberated through the hall, coupled with the sound like cracking ice and a sudden chill in the air. Dark looked fearfully around in the sudden silence.

"It's starting."

---------------------------------------
Please let me know what you think! I always value the opinoins of my readers!

Ah another Dark Link story. Is a good thing. I'm almost positive I posted here - but obviously I'm losing my mind. But whatever. There as you state a few things that could be fixed up but overall a very good piec of work.

Malon made good time from the ranch - but I suppose she was probably in town to sell some milk or something. Good stuff - well written and I will be looking forward to more