Hello and welcome! It's been a while since I've posted fanfiction in the Legend of Zelda fandom. (I deleted almost all of my old stories.) With 2020 being what it is, many people are finding comfort in their old fandoms and I am no exception.

There are content warnings in the end author's note

Without further ado, please enjoy this first chapter of The Magic Awakens.

Updated on 23 October 2020. Minor continuity edit.

Updated on 23 February 2021. Content warnings list added to the author's note at the end.

Updated on 24 February 2021. Story rating changed from Teen to Mature. Author's note referencing T-rating has been deleted.

Updated on 5 March 2021. Minor typos fixed.

Updated on 16 March 2021. Items added to the content warning list. Language warning deleted. Seemed too redundant for an M-rated story.

Updated on 20 March 2021. Item added to the content warning list.


The Magic Awakens

Chapter 1

Call of the Sword


As cars passed stained-glass windows, the rainbow beams swept past a silhouette wandering ancient halls. He carefully walked along the faded red carpet, passing many decorative suits of armour overdue for a polish. The teenage boy took out his slate and turned on the touch screen. Blue light illuminated sandy hair, blue eyes, pointed ears, and a green knitted cap. With a swipe and a tap, the torch of his smart device activated, and he used it to scan the many classic paintings and murals lining the walls.

They depicted much of the folklore Link had heard growing up. There were the three Golden Goddesses creating Hyrule, Hylia raising a city into the sky, spirits of light chasing dark interlopers into a realm of shadows, six sages executing a malevolent king, an imp riding a blue-eyed beast, and a magical sword that split its wielder into four copies of himself. That was only a mere handful of what was on display. At the end of this timeline of countless legends, the hall opened up into a room with a well-kept mural that stretched from floor to ceiling. It depicted the very thing all the legends revolved around.

The Triforce.

From the heavens, the three golden triangles shone over Hyrule with the radiance of the sun, but the menacing silhouette of a boar-like creature hulked over them, his claws closing in on the ultimate power. Beneath him knelt two figures. The one on the left had pale blonde locks reaching most of the way down her back. She wore a white garb and golden jewellery in the shape of Hylia's crest. The figure on the left had short, sandy hair, a green cap, and the classic green tunic worn by all the heroes of old. Together they held the purple hilt of the legendary Master Sword as six medallions of various colours circled them. This mural depicted the last known legend in Hyrule's mythology. It was the climactic moment when all seemed lost, when the Triforce was at last in the clutches of evil and the apocalyptic darkness was nigh. Then two brave souls, the princess and her chosen hero, used the six medallions of the ancient sages to draw all the magic of Hyrule into the sacred blade. They plunged it into the pedestal, sealing away the magic forever.

Whether this legend was fact or fiction was still hotly debated to this day. Archaeologists would point out the many, many structural anomalies in the world, as well as Hyrule's long history of depicting magic in its art, literature, and academic texts, only for things to completely halt around two thousand years ago. Physicists would argue the logical impossibility of magic's existence, insisting that it would break the laws of nature as they knew them. Each side made compelling arguments, but it was a debate that the general public of Hyrule had grown weary of. All they knew was a world where nothing could defy gravity, nothing could glow without a sufficient heat source, and nothing could manifest from thin air. What they did know was that there was a perfectly logical explanation behind everything they observed in the universe. Well, almost everything.

What did Link believe to be true? He wasn't sure. In his youth, he idealised the epic tales of heroes clad in green, and part of him still did. A very strong part that compelled him to don his father's faded green shirts and hat and pursue adventure wherever he found it. For example, sneaking through Hyrule Castle after opening hours.

Yes, Link fantasised about one day being a hero chosen by the Goddesses, but didn't every child? The stories Impa told him suggested that his father yearned for the same when he was younger. But when Link thought about a magical destiny one day becoming his reality, it filled him with dread. It would mean that the eternal evil from all those stories was real, and he would be burdened with beating it back just to buy Hyrule a few more centuries of peace. His soul would be reborn and forced to do it again and again until the river of time ran dry.

For that reason, Link chose to indulge in those stories as mere fantasy. Taste the glory without the trauma. Perhaps they were true, but right now, it did not matter to him as he allowed the mural to conjure epic tales in the safe confines of his imagination.

"Who goes there?"

Footsteps and torchlight approached from the hall. Link dimmed his scroll and ducked towards the nearest exit sign. He rattled the handle of the fire escape door. Locked. He dove his hand into his pocket. Two bobby pins. Within seconds, he bent them into shape. Lock picks. He jimmied them around the keyhole. Within seconds, there was a click. Link turned the knob. The hinges creaked. Security's footsteps hastened. Link threw himself through the door, locked it, and bounded up the stairs. After the second flight, the door creaked again. The torch chased Link up the stairs, but he stayed one corner out of sight. At the top of the stairs, he met another locked door. His pursuer hand one flight left. There wasn't enough time to pick the lock.

Link spied the railing. With a brief running start, he vaulted over it. His sneakers smacked against the concrete stairs. The security guard shone his torch down on the young Hylian as he vaulted down to the next flight and the next. With a frustrated huff, the guard pattered down the stairs and ran through the wide-open door below.

Once the guard's footsteps had disappeared down the hallway, Link emerged from the gap between the door and the wall and ascended the stairs once more.

From there, it was easy to avoid security and pick a few more locks to reach the throne room. Unlike the lower halls, it was at least decently preserved. Stained glass windows lined the walls, filtering moonlight in rainbow hues. They dimly illuminated the statue of Din, Nayru, and Farore circling the Triforce. Beneath them rested a golden throne lined with dark velvet, hosting a silhouette.

"You're late." The occupant's voice was deep and clear. It was the kind of voice that didn't merely command your attention but reached out and seized it.

Link crossed his arms as he approached the shrouded figure. "That's not your throne."

The figure leaned back, and a sliver of white moonlight fell across tanned skin, wild red hair, and a single, golden eye. "It is now," Ganondorf said. "I think it suits me." Link burst into laughter. The Gerudo's brow furrowed. "What?"

Link turned on his heel and walked towards the grand double doors on the opposite end of the room. "You wanna drop the evil overlord act and help me open this place up?"

"Evil overlord?" Ganondorf sprang from his seat. "I was going for 'powerful yet benevolent ruler dethrones tyrant'."

Link jimmied his safety pins around in the lock. "I'll tone police you later. Just help out."

Ganondorf joined Link's side just as the lock clicked. "You Hylians can't stomach pure charisma, I swear. You always want to be coddled by fancy words and indoor voices."

The friends pressed their hands on a door each and pushed. The heavy creak reverberated around the room as the doors revealed a balcony with a curving staircase on either side. Wind whipped their faces and white noise filled their ears. Though there were no stars to be seen in the deep navy sky, light surrounded them in the form of rush hour traffic and skyscrapers with glowing windows and billboards towering over the castle on all sides but one. The balcony itself overlooked a town square with a central fountain, suburbia, and then a forest with pink lining the horizon.

Hyrule was so proud of its history that it wanted Hyrule Castle to be one of the first things travellers saw as they entered the creatively named Castle City, formerly known as Castle Town. The stark contrast of modern metropolis surrounding ancient fortress gave the city its identity, but to Link, it was suffocating. The closed-in buildings were as stuffy as the polluted air. The view from the balcony felt like staring through a window, rather than an actual view where you could turn in any direction and see the land extend into the horizon. If these buildings weren't in the way, Link would be able to see Death Mountain or the river that led to Lake Hylia. The best Link had was the Great Deku Tree half-obscured by a skyscraper with so much glare that it gave Link a headache.

"Goddesses, it makes you feel so small," Ganondorf said, "and not in a good way."

"Bit rich coming from you," Link teased.

Ganondorf smirked as he stood tall, staring down at his friend. "I was born with the body of a leader," he said. "Can't say the same for you." He patted Link's head jokingly. The Hylian swatted his wrist away.

The height difference between them was staggering. Ganondorf could effortlessly touch the ceiling of most rooms he entered, and he had hit his head on far more door frames than he would ever admit to. Link was short even by Hylian standards and barely reached Ganondorf's chest.

The friends returned to the view, pondering what kinds of adventures could be pursued outside the confines of city life.

Link's slate buzzed like crazy in his pocket, and he pulled it out to see several angry texts and an incoming video call from Zelda. He thought about declining but figured he might as well confront her sooner than later. He answered. Zelda's frazzled face appeared. She wore an apron and held a wooden spoon.

"Link! For Din's sake, where are- Are you at Hyrule Castle? On a school night?"

"I said I'd be here," Link said earnestly.

"You said you were going to the library, not the throne room."

"Hello, Zelda," said Ganondorf, hovering beside Link with a princely grin. "You look lovely tonight."

Zelda rolled her eyes. "Of course you would be there."

"Would you rather hear me say you're beautiful all the time?"

"I would rather you keep my brother out of your stupid adventures."

Ganondorf scoffed. "Don't pin this on me. It was his idea."

Link shot Ganondorf a glare as Zelda redirected her scolding towards him. "Seriously, Link? Unlike most of your destinations, this one is actually legal to access."

"If you're willing to fork out 60 rupees," Link rebutted.

Zelda huffed with frustration. "You know what? We can discuss the late capitalism of Hyrule Castle over a nice and hearty dinner. We can't do that if you get arrested again. It won't help my chances in the student council election either, you know."

Link sighed. "Fine. I'll be home soon."

"Tick tock," Zelda sang. She hung up.

Link leaned against the balcony railing on his elbows and groaned. All he wanted, all he ever wanted, was to be able to explore the world freely without having to worry about all the countless, arbitrary restrictions society put in place. If you wanted to visit another country, you needed a passport. If you wanted to explore an abandoned shopping mall, you needed a permit. If you wanted to experience the wonders of Hyrule Castle, you needed some mediocre tour guide. To do anything at all, you needed rupees. Lots of rupees. And if you ignored those restrictions? Suddenly you were "committing an offense" and your actions "reflect badly on your sister."

"Aren't we leaving?" asked Ganondorf.

"Five more minutes," Link said. "She won't know."

Ganondorf sat on the railing next to him. "It's just the same shit over and over, isn't it?"

Link huffed in amusement. Ganon was the only one who understood Link's wanderlust. Though they obediently fell into the routine of school, home, sleep just to appease the system, sometimes it felt so constricting that they needed to break away immediately. Something about their spirits demanded that they chase after some great unknown, to dare where others dare not.

Having a grand and perilous quest sounded quite enticing now.

"Ganon," Link asked, "Do you think magic will ever return to Hyrule?"

Ganondorf gazed up at the sky, finding one star glinting defiantly through the light pollution. "I don't think it ever left."

After a few quiet moments, the friends descended the building together, finding no security guards on their route. This piqued Link's suspicion, but Ganondorf insisted that luck must just be on their side this time.

Then they reached the room with the mural where three police officers had been waiting for them.


"Captain Ozul," Impa pleaded. "He's just going through a rebellious phase. It won't last much longer, I assure you."

Tahk Ozul crossed his arms. "I doubt that. He's had five chances to turn himself around, and I haven't seen him improve in the slightest."

Impa's silver hair was tied back into a bun with a single braid extending past her right collar bone. She had a red tattoo on her left eye featuring curled corners, three triangles on her brow bone, and a teardrop. At the nape of her neck was another tattoo of Hylia's bird-like crest.

The Sheikah and the Twili debated Link's fate at the Castle Central Police Precinct as the Hylian boy sat in the holding cell alone. Ganondorf had already been collected by a rather disgruntled Urbosa.

"It won't happen again," Impa said. "I swear."

Tahk narrowed his eyes. "Fine, but this is his last warning. If I find him in my precinct one more time, he's going to trial."

Impa nodded. "Thank-you, Captain Ozul."

Tahk instructed one of the officers to open the cell, and Link walked out as he rubbed his arm nervously. One stern look from Impa, and he immediately averted her gaze. He would have rather stayed locked up than have to deal with her wrath again.

For the first few minutes of their car trip, Impa let her anger and disappointment sit in the air. Thick. Suffocating. Too many times she had to make this trip. Too many excuses she had to make for him. She was tired of this. Tired of Link disappearing and then resurfacing either in the police precinct or back at home as if he had just gone out for a quick errand and nothing more.

"When I was made your guardian," Impa began, "I promised your mother that I would keep you safe and happy."

Link slumped in the passenger seat with his arms crossed. "Pick one," he said. If one were to draw a Venn diagram of 'Things that Keep Link Safe' and 'Things that Keep Link Happy', it would be two circles with no overlap. It was the one parenting puzzle Impa couldn't solve with Link. She taught him to take responsibility for his schooling, chores, behaviour, and finances with relative ease. But to discourage his trespassing tendencies? Nothing worked. Not even relaying the police captain's threat seemed to discourage him during their argument.

Link ignored her lectures, and Impa grew weary of it herself. The trip fell into silence once more.

They passed by a playground with two swings and a medium-sized deku tree ideal for climbing. Moments later, the car rolled up the driveway and into the garage.

"You didn't take the bike," said Impa as she observed the royal blue vehicle parked near the wall.

Link shrugged. "No parking in the CBD."

Impa parked the car. "You go on in. I have to get back to work."

With a nod, Link unstrapped himself and left the car. Just as he placed his hand on the door, Impa called out to him. "By the way, you're grounded for two weeks!"

Link cast her a frown and entered the house. He was immediately met by Zelda's firm embrace. "By the Goddesses, Link. Are you alright?"

Link gave her a reassuring pat on the head. "I'm fine. You don't need to worry."

Zelda withdrew and led him to the kitchen. "You missed dinner, so I had to put your serve in the fridge. I'll heat it up for you."

"Nah," Link said, opening the fridge. "I can do it myself." As he reached for the covered bowl of carrot stew, Zelda lightly smacked his wrist with her wooden spoon.

"Mr Harkinian. After skipping our family dinner, I hope you won't further mock me by using the microwave."

"Uh…" Link massaged the back of his neck. "Maybe?"

"Unbelievable!" she said. She shoved him out of the way and snatched the bowl out of the fridge herself.

Link had to wait a few minutes longer for Zelda to heat the stew in the freshly cleaned pot, but it was well worth it when she placed the steaming bowl in front of him with a fresh garnish of Hylian herb.

"I'm going to study," she announced. "Have you done your homework yet?" Link, his mouth stuffed with stew, shook his head. Zelda frowned. "And here I was hoping that you actually did go to the library." She made her way up the stairs. "Sing out when you're ready to wash the dishes."

Link swallowed and responded, "Sure thing."


The void stretched on for eternity in all directions. There was no up or down, left or right, until a gentle force tugged Link forwards. With each step, the warmth on the back of Link's hand grew. He wasn't sure what it was or why it was there, but it felt as though it was as much a part of his hand as the five fingers extending from it. Something appeared in the distance, a speck emitting the same warmth. Link broke into a run. Whatever it was, he needed to reach it. Whatever it was, it was his by birthright.

Link stopped before a magnificent blade in the pedestal. It illuminated the aged stone walls surrounding them. The sword beckoned him closer. He reached out, closed his hands around the hilt, and pulled.

A violent shake snapped Link from his dream. He sprung up from his desk in the back row, blinking as his eyes adjusted to the midmorning sunlight that spilled into the classroom.

"Mr Harkinian!" The shrill voice ripped through Link's drowsiness like a needle. "Care to explain why you insult my classroom by taking a nap?" Mrs Twinrova's wrinkled face hovered before him. Personal space would be nice, he thought.

"Uh…" Link's mind, still in the process of waking, fumbled for an answer that could dodge a detention.

"Well? Answer me!" Goddesses, was her voice always this annoying?

Just as Link opened his mouth to blurt out whatever random excuse came to mind, they were interrupted by a yawn from the front of the classroom. A Twili with long legs propped up on her desk had thrown back her head and stretched her arms as she yawned the longest and loudest yawn Link had ever heard.

Mrs Twinrova's eyes narrowed in her direction. "Am I boring you, Ms Ozul?" she asked venomously.

Midna lazily rested her right arm on the back of her chair. "Yes actually, you are."

Mrs Twinrova's fists shook. She stormed down the aisle in the middle of the classroom and slammed her hands down on Midna's desk. The Twili wore a look of pure apathy as she examined her nails. "You won't win student council president with that catty attitude," the teacher spat.

Saliva droplets rained on Midna's face. She grimaced and wiped them away. "Oh please, it'll take a rebel to make real change." A few of the students jeered in approval, but one look from Mrs Twinrova shut them up. "Now if you don't mind, I'm trying to get an A+, so quit wasting my time and get back to teaching."

Mrs Twinrova's jaw dropped. With a huff, she straightened herself, picked up her chalk (because she was that old-fashioned), and continued her lecture on the timeline of Hyrule's folklore.

It was one of the few topics taught in school that actually interested Link, as he had grown up on these stories based on Hyrule's legends. Unfortunately, whenever Mrs Twinrova wasn't yelling, her voice droned like a dying engine. It sucked all the energy out of the room, aside from Midna who diligently jotted down notes on her tablet.

Oh Goddesses, Midna. How do you even begin to describe Midna? Her high ponytail was a tassel of flames in the sunlight, and her eyes glinted like rubies. She was six feet of pure, unbridled sass clad in black clothing with a modern twist on traditional Twili patterns. Her outfits always skirted the dress code, exposing as much cool grey skin as the school would tolerate.

But nothing about Midna's magnificent looks could rival her personality. Some would describe her as a bomb. Set her fuse, and she'd explode in your face and leave you with a devastating fallout. Link preferred to think of her as a firework. There was still a fuse and an explosion, but the fallout was always something beautiful: results. They could be stellar grades, stellar achievements, or stellar comebacks.

Back in primary school, she practically bullied the principal into building ramps for one of the students who used a wheelchair. At the assembly following the construction, she was given a service trophy and a chance to address the school with a few "words of inspiration". Midna could have spoken about the importance of looking out for your fellow students or being tolerant of each other's differences, but she said something else entirely. "I don't want some stupid award because I did your job." Then she shoved the trophy back in the principal's hand, dropped the mic, and skipped off stage. Legendary.

The bell rang and Link hurried to pack his brown, leather, messenger bag so he could catch Midna before she left. She slid her tablet into her backpack, swung it over her shoulder, and strode out of the classroom. Link caught up to her in the middle of a hallway lined with lockers. "Hey Midna, I wanted to thank-" She slipped into the bustling crowd of students. Link's shoulders sank. Perhaps she hadn't heard him? Or maybe she still held a petty grudge from that incident nine years ago.

A stack of posters smacked into his chest. "Come on, Mr Frowny Face," teased Zelda. "You promised to put these up."

Zelda's school attire was preppy yet elegant. Her shiny blonde hair was styled into a low bun with a braid running over her crown. Gold-rimmed glasses from a vintage store circled her blue eyes. She wore a white cotton turtleneck under a pastel purple chiffon dress that reached her knees, as well as white crew-length socks and pale pink oxfords.

As she and Link put up her election posters, Zelda couldn't stop thinking about the forlorn expression she saw on Link's face as he watched Midna leave. "You know, of all the people to crush on, does it really have to be her?" Zelda asked.

"Who?"

"Quit playing dumb. We're twins. If anyone can tell you're falling for Midna, it's me."

He turned red. "Wha- Midna? I don't have a thing for Midna."

"Link," said Zelda, "You just taped your hand to the wall."

"Huh?" Link turned to see that in his absent-minded attempt to stick one of the corners of the poster to the wall, he had stuck the washi tape over a few of his fingers. He gently removed his hand and placed the tape over the corner as if nothing had ever happened, but on the inside, he felt a twinge of shame.

Zelda cut off another piece of tape for Link. "I just don't understand though. Why her? You know what she used to be like."

"I know," Link said. "I have no interest in dating her, okay? Not after how she hurt you." He taped down the final corner. "And even if I did, her father would have me tossed in a cell."

Zelda giggled. "At least you aren't reckless in your romantic life."

"Where to next?" Link asked, slightly irritated.

Zelda set off down the hall and promptly slammed into someone's chest. She apologised as she knelt down to pick up the scattered posters. As she reached for the final one, the figure snatched it up. "Hey!" Zelda snapped. She stood up and glared at Groose. "Give that back right now."

The burly boy had pasty skin, dopey yellow eyes, and a crimson pompadour. He also had a rather unfortunate sense of fashion, as he often unironically dressed like it was the 90s. Today's ensemble included a loose navy and yellow striped shirt tucked into wide-legged jeans in a sickly green colour.

Groose slicked back his pompadour as he flashed Zelda a cocky grin. His lackies, Cawlin and Fledge, hovered behind him. "Nice bumping into you, sweetheart." Zelda jumped up to snatch her poster back but Groose held it out of reach. "Organised, passionate, dependable?" he read out loud. "That doesn't sound like a president. That sounds like a housewife who reads too many books."

Link stepped forward. "Give. It. Back," he said through gritted teeth.

Groose stared down at him. "Oh yeah? Make me."

Link leapt up faster a higher than Zelda, but Groose just managed to keep Zelda's poster out of reach. Link tried again and again, yet still the prize evaded him. Groose's lackies laughed at the display and a few of the other students joined in. Link pushed off one of the lockers for extra height, but Groose shoved him in mid-air, sending him sprawling on the ground. Groose laughed as he turned back to Zelda. "You know what? I'll give it back if you go on a date with me."

"I'd rather kiss an octorok," Zelda hissed. Some of the onlookers oohed.

"Aw come on. Don't you wanna date your future student council president?"

"I want to be the student council president."

Someone snatched the poster from Groose's hand. "Organised? Passionate? Dependable?" Ganondorf cocked an eyebrow. "Feels like you could do better."

Zelda rolled her eyes. "Urgh, now I have to deal with two mansplainers."

Groose scoffed. "Mansplaining isn't a thing."

"Oi, fuck off mate," Ganondorf said. "I'm trying to have a conversation here."

Groose wilted under the Gerudo's glower, as did Cawlin and Fledge. "C'mon guys," Groose grumbled. "We don't hang around simps."

Ganondorf, who had been called a simp many times before, was not fazed by the insult one bit. Being raised by a community of women, he was never hesitant to defend them whenever it seemed necessary. He turned to Zelda. "I wasn't insulting you," he claimed. "If I wrote the poster, I would have called you smart, charismatic, and strong-willed."

Zelda was a little taken aback by the compliment. "Thank-you, Ganondorf," she said, "but don't think you can win me over with mere flattery."

He laughed heartily. His laughter was never anything less. "Challenge accepted," he said with a smirk. "By the way, can I borrow Link for a minute?"

She drew out her slate and set a timer. "I'll give you two, but only because I'm feeling generous."

Link squeezed her shoulder as he passed. "Thanks, Zel."

The friends walked to a less crowded part of the hall and Ganon addressed Link in a hushed tone. "Let's visit the Temple of Time tonight."

"What? No. I'm grounded."

"Look, I have a really good feeling about this," Ganon argued. "It's been showing up a lot in my dreams lately."

Link pondered this. "Me too," he admitted. In his recurring dreams, the emphasis was always on the Master Sword. Find the Master Sword. Draw the Master Sword. The strange tugging sensation from his dream surfaced again, and Link realised he needed to visit that temple like he needed to drink water to sooth a parched throat. But they had just gone on an adventure. "I'm not sure it's worth the risk."

"I think so," said Ganon. "It feels like we're receiving visions from the goddesses themselves."

Link scrutinised his friend. "I hope you're not implying what I think you are."

"C'mon, surely you want to at least try to draw the sword."

"You think it'll budge for you?" Link teased.

Ganon grinned confidently. "If not the Mighty Ganondorf, then maybe you."

"Yeah right."

"I mean it," said Ganon. "You parade around with the hero's face, name, and general style." He prodded at Link's cap.

Link waved Ganon's hand away. "I'm just a fanboy."

"Time's up," Zelda called.

"Think on it," Ganon walked off in the opposite direction and cast Link a wave. "See you tomorrow, Link," he said aloud with a coy wink. Link sighed. His friend made an oddly compelling argument, and he silently prayed to Nayru that he wouldn't fall for it.

"What was that about?" asked Zelda, appearing at his side.

Link shrugged. "Dumb guy stuff."

Though he said it with a stoicism that would have easily convinced anyone else, Zelda could tell that this was far greater than just "dumb guy stuff". If she admitted how she knew though, by the Goddesses, that would probably make things even worse. For that reason, she kept her thoughts to herself. "Alright. I trust you."


Link lay in bed that night, staring wide-eyed at the ceiling. How many hours had it been since the madness of the Master Sword tainted his every thought like rust on a nail? For Din's sake, it was eating away at him! Awake, every train of thought lead back to his conversation with Ganon. He attempted to fall asleep early to escape it, but that same dream haunted him, more vivid than ever. It went as far as to show him the path through the forest to the temple.

Even now, the calling reached into his very core and tugged and tugged until Link was almost certain he could feel a dull aching in his chest. The mental strain he put into just ignoring the temptation was immense. This was a feeling, a burning desire, he had known his entire life, but never before had it been this strong, this persistent, this enticing.

I won't go, Link told himself. If I go, I'll get into trouble again. Though he would never admit it, he hated making Impa worry and that was why he kept his excursions to a minimum. But she was still working the night shift at her job, wasn't she? In just a few hours he could be back in bed and she wouldn't suspect a thing. No, Link thought. Zelda trusts you to not do something like this. He only needed to hold out until school the next day, when the class work and social atmosphere could hopefully distract his weary mind. This will pass, he assured himself. This will pass. This will pass.

It did not pass.

Link swung his legs off the bed and reached for the day's clothes that he had left crumpled on the floor. He had no willpower remaining to challenge himself at every garment and every fastening. Once he had stuffed his essentials into his tan trousers and placed his father's old cap upon his head, he glanced at his reflection in the sliding doors of his wardrobe. His breath hitched in is throat.

It was startling how much he looked like the hero in the mural. The pointed ears with the blue piercings that matched his eyes. The short, choppy, sand-coloured hair spilling out from under the cap. Though he did not wear the iconic green tunic, he wore a light denim jacket of the same colour over a cream-coloured shirt. He had tucked his trousers into some chestnut-coloured timberline boots, perfect for hiking. On his back was a brown backpack with water and a first aid kit packed inside. Part of him wanted to deny what he saw, and part of him wanted to celebrate it: if the heroes of old existed today, they would probably look exactly like his reflection. He was the picture of the modern adventurer.

The calling didn't allow him to gaze at his reflection for long. It drew him downstairs and into the garage. The door rattled as it lifted and coiled around the metal rod. He silently prayed that Zelda didn't hear that. Link turned off the brakes on his bike and quietly rolled it out of the garage. Once he had closed the garage door, he continued to roll the bike down the street until he was three doors down. He slipped on his gloves and helmet, revved the engine, and drove after the call of the sword.


So what did you think? This chapter is the longest one written so far. You can expect most chapters to be between 3000 to 4000 words. I also have the next five chapters drafted in the backlog, so you can expect fortnightly updates in the near future.

Also I just wanted to clarify that in this world, the high school setting is Americanised, but there are six years of high school and six years of primary school, just like what we have in Australia. This is because our high schools have uniforms and dozens of individual buildings and neither of those things are fun to write about.

Don't forget to leave a review! I'm excited to hear what you think :)

CONTENT WARNINGS

This story has content that could be potentially triggering. Initially I was going to have content warnings on the relevant chapters, but A, that kinda spoils said chapter, and B, people should be able to walk away from this story before they get too invested in it. Since the story is still being written, there's possibility for this list to expand.

SPOILERISH CONTENT WARNINGS START NOW

Suicide attempts

Police brutality

Characters being triggered

Panic attacks and anxiety symptoms because I gotta project somehow

Intrusive thoughts

Discussions of PTSD, DID, and OSDD (the scene has been read by a sensitivity reader)

Sexual harassment

Verbal and emotional abuse

At least one queer character is killed off

Mild queerphobia

Faking disability and mental illness

Mentions of racism

Mild sexual themes among minors

Mentions of incest? Kinda?

SPOILERISH CONTENT WARNINGS END

If you have any questions or need me to clarify anything for you, you're welcome to message me privately, either on this website or Tumblr. My username is scarlet-curls.