Linked Through The Ages: A Linked Universe AU

Chapter 1: Meeting the Calamity

The cool breeze swept through the land, rustling the lush grass and the brightly colored plants native to that region. The smell of rain still hung in the air mixed with the scent of a small campfire, which sat in front of a small youth, wrapped in a dark cloak.

The boy poked the small fire with a stick, absentmindedly, as he scanned the area he currently resided in. He looked over the massive lake that was once the home of an even larger machine. He heard the rivers and rapids beyond that, churning dangerously, yet gracefully and beautifully. He glanced towards the sharp cliffs and waterfalls, still slick with the rain that had made its way through the region recently. Finally, his eyes, hidden beneath his cloak, rested upon the elegant, luminescent structure that was Zora's Domain.

The boy's lips tightened into a straight line as his eyes caught the slight glimmer of the building that seemed to sparkle against the setting sun. While eyeing the structure, he quickly reached down to his belt, yanking a tablet shaped stone from off of it.

Suddenly, the stone came to life, shining a light blue glow on the boy's face, illuminating the particularly sky blue eyes, kept hidden from most, under his cloak. With a few taps, the boy accessed the part of the slate he wanted, which seemed to be an inventory of some sorts. He scrolled until he came upon a section labeled Bows. The light glow from the screen showed he was glancing at the bottom section, which appeared to store arrows.

10 regular, 5 fire, 3 ice, 8 electric, 1 bomb, 0 ancient.

He sighed and switched to a different screen that was labeled food. He brought a hand up to his eyes, rubbing them in frustration from what he saw. There was hardly any food left. Only 3 meals were available with some roasted bass, mushrooms, and baked apples in separate slots.

He eyed Zora's Domain nervously. Maybe I can sneak down after dark when everyone is asleep. I'll grab some arrows and just leave a bag of rupees in their place. If I can get to the cooking pot without anyone seeing me, I'll make enough meals to tide me over for a couple more days. Just a couple more days.

He realized quickly that if he didn't want to be seen, none of those ideas were an option. There was always someone sitting at the front desk at both the Coral Reef, as well as the Seabed Inn, where the cooking pot was available for travelers. There was no way he wouldn't be questioned by...what where their names again? Kayden and Cleff, right. He apparently knew them in another life, they were sure to question him as they always did when he dropped in for a rest, food, or arrows. He suspected Zelda had probably already told them to notify her if they saw him. No, not an option. He would just have to make do with what he had.

He looked down at the piece of cloth tied around his neck, creating a make-shift sling for his shield arm. It had been just a couple weeks since he broke it. Since he fought HIM. He rubbed the bridge of his nose, fighting the memories and slight panic that wracked his brain whenever he remembered.

...

Link stood tall in front of the sanctum archway. Despite his nervous gasps of air, he knew he could no longer avoid this. She was getting weaker, he could feel her struggling whenever he closed his eyes. Her powers to contain whatever beast resided here was dulling. Whether he was ready or not, he would face this calamity inevitably, so he chose the best option he could. He might as well come prepared, and with Zelda holding it back. Link didn't even want to imagine how it would play out if he didn't meet the evil residing here soon, and faced this creature at a time when he could be low on food, arrows, or only had access to easily breakable weapons. He learned his lesson well when he tried to fight Thunder Blight with a stick. No thank you.

He recounted each blight he fought. Each one had nearly killed him. He could almost still feel the burns from Fire Blight. Luckily, he had the right equipment, so he could continue to fight. He still could feel the welts and blisters that were rising beneath the protective gear he wore as he fought. He couldn't use his hands for around two weeks after that fight, and his sides took even longer to heal. He had to stay in Rito Village for over a month after Wind Blight. The lasers it had sent off hit him square in the chest. Whereas they did no damage to the skin like Fire Blight, the energy pent up within the beams cracked his ribs and sent him flying backwards. Fun times.