[ZGen] The Legend of Zelda: The Dark Times (T)

This is my first fan fiction. I'm going to try to update it each Thursday starting next week. I wll also be starting college, so I'm hoping i'll be able to keep going. So sit back, relax, and enjoy.

The Legend of Zelda: The Dark Times
Prologue
It would have been an odd sight to an outside observer. The children in line all waiting for the signal. Not many people outside Kokiri Village knew what the children were doing, and those who did know knew not why. With shouts of glee the children all sprang into action. The chased sprinted across the field to signal the beginning of the harvest festival.
“Hurry,” a boy fit boy of thirteen called back. “We can’t let them beat us to the finish!” He had darker hair and more freckles than the boy he called upon.
“You keep going, Drake,” the other boy replied. “I’ll catch up.” The boy was already sweating and the hot sun didn’t help his mood. Running was not one of Link’s strong points as it was for Drake. His legs were shorter and more muscular, more suited to jumping and climbing instead of running. Still as best friends, Link had to try to catch up. He put on an extra burst of speed and still couldn’t match his friend’s pace.
Link was now in fourth place probably fifteen feet behind Drake. “I’ll get you in the next game!” he called ahead. Drake made no reply besides a quick laugh. This frustrated Link but also gave him the determination to run even harder. His blond hair plastered itself against his damp forehead. Link passed one child and then another. Now no one separated himself from Drake. But there was not enough time. The race would end and Drake would win for the second year in a row. They crossed the finish line and it was if the sound was turned back on. Link finally realized that his brain had been concentrating so hard that it had shut out the noise and focused only on his goal.
Drake had already come to a stop hardly out of breath, while Link was panting, struggling the regain normal breathing. Drake was grinning at Link but it was a different smile than last year. Link’s mood turned sour, Drake was going to gloat, not only had he beaten Link again, but he was going to rub it in his friend’s face.
“Go ahead and say it,” Link spoke as if the words were poison. The left his mouth with a bitter taste, and a second later Link regretted ever saying the words.
Drake’s face turned down forming a solemn expression. “What do you mean, all I wanted to do was congratulate you. You did so much better than last year. Sorry, I know I’m faster, but I didn’t want the other kids to beat me.”
“Sorry,” Link mumbled. “I didn’t mean it that way. I guess I was just so close that I figured you would gloat at me.” Why do I always open my mouth to soon? Now he’s never going to speak to me again.
But once again Link was wrong. Drake’s smile came back, and he grabbed Link’s shoulder. “You know bud, you get to be second in line for the feast right after me.” While walking toward the tables, Drake continued. “But with how much I eat…” Drake let the sentence trail off, implying what Link would get.
Turning to face Link, green eyes met blue. “You did great today Link. And I’m sure you’ll beat me in several of the other contests.”
Then they both heard it. A birdcall that was not native to the region. They each knew every single type of animal in the entire forest, but this bird called like none of the others. They froze in place straining to hear the bird call again. But all they received for their troubles was silence.
“Probably just an animal passing through,” Drake declared but to Link he sounded unsure of himself. Something had him on edge. Then again everyone had been on edge lately. Link wasn’t sure why but he figured it had to do with the harvest festival.
Then the moment passed and they continued to the tables. Two adults met them at their destination, each holding a green tunic. The two boys slipped the tunic over their heads and sat for the beginning of the feast. The other children came after Drake and Link taking their places to the left of the winners.
Minutes later, after all the children were seated and wearing their festival clothes, the elder stood up and got ready to start the feast. He reached the head of the table and all the people of Kokiri village became silent.
The elder was known for his long speeches and his drawling voice, and this year was no exception. But just as he took a breath to start his speech, a stunned look crossed his face. His mouth opened and shut trying to form words but unable to make a sound. Finally the elder fell to the ground showing the reason for his momentary silence. A single arrow transfixed in his back. A red stain was seeping through his clothing as the man lay dying on the grass next to the feasting table.
Link and Drake were the closest to the elder and they were stunned by the event. “The bird call,” Drake stammered. “It was a signal!” then, all of a sudden, more arrows hissed through the air.
“Run!” a single voice called out. It was as if this call brought all the people of the village to their senses. It wasn’t until a few seconds later that Link realized the call had been his. He was already running away from the tables toward the tree line. Drake was right next to him and a terrified look covered his face. Link chanced a single glance back and immediately regretted the decision. What he saw would haunt him for years to come. He knew at that moment that if he survived this event, the image of the dying Kokiri would never leave his memory. He saw men women and children pierced by arrows, screaming for help that no one would be able to give. Then the creatures broke out of their cover and ran, sabers in hand toward the villagers. This new development granted more speed to Link’s legs. He and Drake reached the tree line and started looking for a way out of this mess.
“Quick up the tree,” Link suggested to his friend. Without waiting for a response Link jumped upward to grab the nearest branch. He swung his legs up to the branch and started climbing. He knew that the higher he got, the harder it would be to be seen by the creatures. Once he reached a height of about twenty feet, he stopped and gazed at the clearing. The creatures were rampaging around the area and stabbing any one who couldn’t get out of the way quick enough.
The dark skin of these monsters made them easy to see in the daylight, but if they had attacked at night, no one would have been able to see them. Their long arms and legs helped them run quickly and give them a long reach. They acted ruthlessly and ran on four legs as often as they did on two. They called to each other in grunts and screeches. These were the Moblins.
Link had only heard of these creatures in the nightly tales his parents had told him. They had scared him even with the mention of the fearful creatures. And now seeing the monsters directly below him, he was even more terrified.
His parents. They had stayed at their hut during the days feast. Maybe, just maybe they would escape since they were far enough away. A panicked scream came from directly below. Link glanced down, Drake was struggling to get into a tree. He couldn’t get his legs up and a Moblin was drawing closer.
How could he have left his friend behind? Link had just assumed that Drake would be able to get into a tree to safety. Link began to descend to help Drake into a tree. But just as he reached fifteen feet, Drake broke away from his hopeless attempts of climbing and resorted to fleeing from the Moblin. Link realized immediately that Drake would never escape on foot.
The Moblin drew his saber and took chase after the boy. The monster snarled as the young boy ran. Link closed his eyes knowing the inevitable was about to happen. Though Link could block out the sight of his friend’s death, the sound pierced his entire soul. Drake screamed as the sword sliced through his flesh. The sound was even worse with closed eyes, leaving his imagination to supply the image.
Many other screams rent the midday sky. Link heard them all, knowing that friends were dying and he could do nothing to stop their suffering. He stood no chance even if he did descend to fight. All he could do was wait for the screams to stop and the Moblins to leave. The tree swayed in the breeze but Link clung tightly to the trunk and kept his eyes shut. He had seen enough blood today for an entire lifetime. Part of him even wanted to climb down to meet his death. To be with his friends.
But maybe some would survive. They would need to stick together, and maybe, perhaps his parents would survive. It wasn’t until he tasted salt that Link realized he was crying. The tears were pouring down his face, coating his cheeks with salt. How many people had yet to die? Silence ensued for several minutes. Minutes became hours, and finally darkness came to the village. The Moblins may still remain, but Link could see nothing. There was no fire to light the village, and their dark fir hid them from sight. Link once again closed his eyes. Hoping that, with sleep, he would find peace. But sleep would only bring pain.
The screams began again, it was midday and Drake was once again running from a Moblin. He screamed to Link for help, but Link could not move, not even close his eyes as he did before.
“Why won’t you help me!” Drake screamed at Link. He stared straight at his friend and the Moblin Swung his sword and made contact with Drake’s stomach. Blood gushed out of the wound. Link was suddenly on the ground next to his friend. The Moblin was staring at Link seeing his next victim. Link had no chance, but he still ran. He grabbed a tree branch to start climbing but the Moblin pulled him back down. Link stared into his friend’s green eyes. They were glazed over in death but they still looked straight at Link. Then Link broke the eye contact. He looked at the Moblin whose sword was raised for the final blow. Its eyes gleamed evilly while it smiled showing ugly yellow teeth. The sword plunged downward just as Link raised his left hand in a futile attempt to block the sword. His hand seared as if stuck in a roaring fire.
Link awoke with his hand still in terrible pain. He was still in the tree but the night had passed and the sun had risen in the east. Link looked at his left palm and there was no mark on it, but as he turned it over he saw the source of his pain. The triangular mark on his hand was more defined than it had ever been in his life.
The mark was formed by three golden triangles touching each other at the corners forming one larger triangle. The bottom right triangle glowed slightly brighter than the other two. As the pain faded so did the mark on the back of his hand. The triangle faded until it was merely an outlined figure.
Link glanced around, still shake by the dream, to make sure there were no more Moblins around. The coast was clear, the Moblins had all left during the night. But their handiwork was still left behind for Link to see. Even while climbing down, Link could see and smell the effects of the Moblin raid. All the Kokiri that he could see were dead and the stench of the bodies was nearly overwhelming. Link dropped the final feet to the forest floor. He turned his back towards his dead friend. He would not be able to bear seeing the mangled body that his friend’s spirit had once occupied. Link started at a trot towards his home. He tried to keep his eyes away from the bodies of the villagers as he made his way home.
A sense of foreboding crept into Link’s mind. He opened the gate to the yard and noticed that the door was torn off its hinges. No! They can’t be dead! Link entered at a sprint and stumbled over something strewn across the floor. There lay his father.
The man’s hair was blonde like his son’s. His throat had been cut and his tunic soaked with his own blood. Link tore his gaze from his father’s body and searched for his mother. He hadn’t looked long when he saw his mother’s body, still clutching his baby sister. They had not even spared a innocent infant! His entire village had been slaughtered and Link was the only one left. Why had he survived when all the others had been killed?
Link turned away from his mother and vomited on the floor of the cabin. He was sick with himself for surviving. Why had it been him? He heard a sound from the back and rushed to see what it was. He reached the field in the back of his house and saw that one other member of the village had survived. But it was not human. It was his horse, Epona.
Link entered the stable and untied her from the hitching post. “There, there girl,” Link whispered to Epona, “you’re alright now.” Link led her out into the pasture and watched her graze for a few moments. He then returned to his house to finish the rites for his parents. He knelt down over his mother, put one hand on his heart and the other on her forehead. He finished the ritual and began walking toward his father. But he stopped, returning to his mother he took her necklace. It was similar in shape to the mark on his left hand. But the outer corner was sliced off each of the Triangles. This altered the shape dramatically. Link never understood why this was done to the necklace, but he took in nonetheless. His mother would understand.
He knelt for another minute next to his mother, startled by a noise outside the front door. Another survivor? Maybe some one else is alive! Link rushed to the front door and stared out over his father’s lifeless body. Moblins. Three of them dashed through the front yard, just as Link ran back through the house. He reached the field just as the Moblins crashed into a table. “Epona!” Link called out in his desperation. She came galloping towards him. Unfortunately, she was not saddled. That would make the trip that much harder. The Moblins burst through the back entryway. Snarling and barring their yellow teeth, they charged toward the lone survivor of Kokiri Village.
Link mounted Epona and urged her straight into a gallop. Link hadn’t even taken the reigns and Epona knew exactly what her master wanted her to do. She bolted to the gateway. Link realized too late that it was closed. He closed his eyes and braced for the impact that never came. His loyal horse jumped over the gate in one smooth motion, leaving the Moblins far behind Link. The young boy leaned over the neck of the young gelding. He grabbed the reigns and guided her towards the forest trail. He heard that this was the path taken by the merchants that came to Kokiri Village each year. His legs were already becoming sore from the ride without a saddle. This is going to hurt when I’m finished. He eased back on the reigns as not to exhaust Epona this early in his flight. The town was several days away and he needed Epona to make it to the town, whatever it was.
Link’s first night in the wild was horrendous. He found a stream near dusk and decided to spend the night there. He realized that this trip would be uncomfortable, but there was no soft spot that he could find in the area. Epona lay down and quickly closed her eyes. At least she could sleep. Link shuffled over and leaned against her sweaty side. She was comfortable to lie against and soon sleep came to Link too.
Once again Link’s dreams did not bring rest. He was at home with his parents. They were having lunch and just talking. Link couldn’t understand what they were saying but it was a comforting time. Then a crash came to the front door. Four Moblins poured in through the opening they had made. Link’s father rushed to the door while shouting for the others to run. Link was frozen to the spot. He saw the Moblin cackle as he sliced through the older man’s throat. His mother was crying trying to comfort her infant daughter but no words would quiet the child. She was stabbed by a Moblin, while pleading for her daughter’s life. The Moblins then turned towards Link and pointed to the necklace that he had taken from his mother. “Our master wants that!” the Moblin gasped. Then the sword descended, coming to slice Link in two.
Link awoke with a startled gasp. He was clutching the necklace in his left hand and it was hot to the touch. The light was only starting to come over the horizon but Link’s day had just begun. He urged Epona to stand up. She had obviously been awake when link was dreaming but she had not moved so not to wake her master.
The boy stood and swept the sandy blonde hair off his face. The green tunic that he had been wearing since the festival was stained and smelly. Has it only been two days? Link wondered. He stumbled to the stream and scooped up water to drink. His stomach grumbled complaining of its lack of food. Link stared down into the water. He saw his face but it was a face changed from the innocent youth from last week. His eyes were framed with dark lines underneath. He walked back to Epona who had been waiting patiently. He climbed onto the brown gelding. She snorted as he turned her head up the path. The started at a slow canter. Another long day ahead.
This time Link didn’t stop at nightfall. He couldn’t stand another dream as he had endured the last two nights. Epona seemed unfazed by this change of events. She continued on only stopping periodically at a stream to drink the water and relieve herself. Link allowed her to pick the route on the path. Epona was a smart horse. It seemed that she would find the way even without Link’s guidance. Plush her master was unable to see in the dark. He didn’t dare shut his eyes to rest, lest another nightmare force itself upon him.
Night turned to day and day again to night. Not once did Epona’s pace falter. She continued on the path until finally her bleary eyed master saw something of interest. Link gazed upon his salvation, a walled town. This must be the place the traders spoke of. He knocked upon the gate. A bearded man opened it for Link to enter. But as soon as Link was inside the man halted the mounted boy.
“What business have you in Kakariko Village?” The man gruffly inquired. The man brought a lantern up to see all the better of Link’s face. What he saw of the boy startled the man. Link saw it on the scarred face. Surprise of the boy’s condition, or perhaps he knew where he was from. Whatever the reason, the man dropped the lantern, which shattered on the ground. He took Link from Epona’s back and lowered him to the ground.
“It’s alright boy.” The man spoke much more softly this time. Compassion covered his face. It was a startling change to Link. “Why have you left Kokiri Village? Did something happen there?”
Link was so tired he couldn’t think straight. The man obviously was doing his job, but Link didn’t want to talk about it. “Moblins. All dead.” Was all that Link could make out before the tears welled up in his eyes. The emotions that had been swirling in Link for the past three days finally released themselves.
“Enon!” the man cried out. “Enon, hurry!”
“What is it Rusl?” a man, Enon, called as he hurried from a nearby building. “Good God! Where did this boy come from?”
“Send a group of men to Kokiri village to investigate. Moblins have attacked and I don’t expect any survivors.” Link saw the look of shock cover Enon’s face. Had Link not been so tired, he would be surprised at the reaction the man felt for people he had never met.
“Now, Enon!” Rusl shouted, snapping the man out of his own shock. Enon Rushed to the nearest house and pounded on the door, shouting words that Link could not make out.
Rusl scooped Link up off the ground. Poor boy, he must not have eaten in days. Carrying the boy to the nearby campfire, Rusl laid Link down on the blanket. “Wait right here,” stated to the Kokiri, “I’ll be right back.”
Rusl made to leave, but a strong hand gripped the back of his tunic. “Don’t leave me.” The boy whispered. His face was a mask of agony. He was obviously afraid of being alone and vulnerable.
“Alright come with me. Let’s go to my house. There’s a nice bed you can lay on,” Rusl explained as they walked along. The boy barely came up to Rusl’s chest, but he kept pace with the older man. Rusl was walking quickly, even so the Kokiri kept up with him. “What’s your name, lad?”
“Link,” the boy replied simply. The boy said only what was needed, simple answers to simple questions.
“Well Link, we’re going to my house. You can stay there as long as you want,” Rusl tried to make normal conversation to put the boy at ease, but he found it hard. The fact that the entirety of Kokiri Village had been wiped out was enough to keep anyone somber. The village had always been peaceful. They hardly ever ate meat, let alone fight anyone else. Why would someone want to kill such a village? “You’ll even get to meet my daughter Malon. She’s about your age, and I’m sure you’ll be good friends.” Enon rushed past Rusl, giving the man a questioning look, obviously wondering if the captain of the Kakariko Village Guard would be joining his men on the expedition. Rusl gently shook his head and turned his attention back to Link.
Link still kept pace with the older man, but he was obviously tiring from the exerting speed. Only then did Rusl notice that the horse was following. “What’s your horses name, Link?”
This caused Link to tear up, as if the horse had a sad history to it. Indeed it did. “My father’s horse, Epona.” With these few words Link broke down and wept. He stopped and fell to the ground, remembering his parent’s bodies and how they had been taken away before it was their time.
A gentle hand pulled Link’s chin up. Rusl had knelt down next to him, staring into the boy’s bright blue eyes. Even when the eyes were filled with tears. They showed an enormous amount of strength. Deep within the child, was a reservoir waiting to be tapped at a moments notice. But now Link needed to grieve. He needed to reach a point of acceptance. “I’m sorry about your parents,” the kind old man said. Tears had reached his own eyes.
Blue eyes met another set of blue. The stared at each other, neither wanting to break the connection. Link, for the first time in three days, was at peace. He nodded at Rusl and began to stand. He found it easy, as if a large weight had rested on his shoulders the last three days. He took a deep breath and, with a strong, even voice, said, “Thank you.”
“No problem. Besides,” Rusl continued as they walked the final yards to a nearby door, “You did all the hard work. All I did was help you find the strength inside.” With these last words, Rusl opened the door. It was dark inside and Link’s stride faltered. “S’all right. It’s my house, I’ll go first if you want.” Link nodded uncertainly, not knowing what was inside.
Rusl strode over the threshold. And lit a nearby lamp. With the light, Link could see it was a cozy living area. It had a kitchen with stove and cupboards as well as a sitting area with a fireplace. There were stairs leading up to a second level, as well as a ladder leading down to a cellar below. Several portraits were hung on the wooden walls, which, were otherwise bare. They were of a young women with red hair. Her brown eyes sparkled with happiness, next to her in several portraits was a man, a much younger Rusl. He still had his beard, but it had been a much darker brown than it was this night.
“C’mon, I’ll show you where you can sleep.” They walked together to the base of the stairs. They looked up and at the peak of the stairs stood a young girl, who Link estimated to be ten years of age. She had bright red hair just as the woman in the portraits. She was holding a stuffed bear tightly in her left arm. Her brown eyes were half closed, obviously still sleepy, she had woken up with the commotion outside. “Hello, Malon, aren’t you supposed to be in bed?”
The girl, Malon, nodded. “But I heard somethin’ outside. Sounded like yelling.”
“Yeah, Enon went to do some work.” He paused, he didn’t want to upset Link, so he didn’t mention where Enon had gone. “Malon, this is Link. He’s gonna be staying with us for a while.”
Malon waved a stubby hand at Link. “Hi,” she stated simply.
Rusl led Link up the stairway. Malon, stepped to the side allowing the two to pass, then followed them to their destination. They turned right, into a room that was neither small nor large. Instead it had just enough space to allow room for all the furniture and enough space to walk without bumping into anything. Rusl, knelt down until he was at eye level with Link. “You’ll stay here tonight, and as long as you want, for that matter. If you need anything, and I mean anything, wake me up and I’ll help you. I’ll be in the room right across from the hall.”
“Epona,” Link muttered, “I have to make sure she-“
“Not tonight.” Rusl interrupted gently. “I’ll put her in my stable and take care of her. You’ve had a long couple days and you need to sleep. Now get in bed.”
Link obediently took off his boots, then paused staring at the doorway as something caught his eye. Rusl followed Link’s gaze and sure enough, Malon was standing in the doorway staring curiously at the young boy she had just met. Rusl, with a shooing motion, sent the little girl to bed. Both heard her bare feet smacking on the floor as she ran to her room. “Sorry ‘bout that.” Rusl apologized. “You can leave the tunic on if you want. But get into bed, you need your sleep.” But the boy did neither. Instead he rushed forward and embraced Rusl, hugging him tightly to make sure he was not a dream or part of his imagination. Rusl hugged back, seeing not the boy’s problems, but the child beneath. The warm heart and soul that resided within him.
The momentary embrace ended, both man and boy felt encouraged. Link then removed his tunic and climbed into the bed wearing only a white shirt and loincloth. Both were dirty, but Rusl decided that the boy should sleep as comfortable as possible.
Rusl started to close the door when Link called out, “Will you teach me?”
“Teach you what?” Rusl inquired opening the door.
“You’re a guard. I want to be able to fight.”
“When you’re ready you will learn.”
With these last words, darkness enveloped Link and left him alone with his thoughts. He would learn to fight. Next time he would be able to defend himself and the rest of his friends. The Kokiri had all been slaughtered but one would survived. The Moblins had missed Link and they would pay. With these final thoughts, Link clutched the necklace finding comfort. Closing his eyes, Link mind drifted off, thinking of his parents, Drake, everyone in the village. They would rest in peace. Living in Link’s memory as they had lived in life.
Free.

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I got no replies at all, so i didn't post the next three chapters, I'm not trying fan fics here again