Sink or Swim|Link/Sidon Fanfiction

Chapter One: Marks

Open your eyes. Link... Open your eyes.

Bolting up, a startled gasp hitching in my throat, I barely manage to catch the duvet as it tumbles over the edge of my bed, sweat lingering along my nape. Only to deflate the moment I realise that the ethereal voice ringing through my mind wasn't really Zelda calling out to me; it was a memory. A memory of waking up revived, with no idea of just who on earth I actually was.

Only that I had to save the entire world.

Letting out a sigh, shaking my head, I merely tuck back strands of my golden hair, fluffing up my pillow again with pouting down at the feathers that expel from under the material. I shouldn't be getting myself so caught up on the past anymore; that's just what it is: the past. Just... The past of a 119 year-old. Well, soon to be 120, as it so happens. Zelda wants to do something big for my birthday, maybe invite all of the races that aided me in my quest to rejoice at Hyrule Castle. I wouldn't have so much of an issue, if it wasn't for the night upon which my birthday falls.

The blood moon. An element that stalked me throughout my entire quest, making my life a living nightmare. I know that that's all over now, and Ganon has long since been obliterated from the face of this earth, but I still can't shake my uneasiness. The blood moon will hang high in the sky as a scarlet pendulum the moment I turn 120, and I can't help but think that something bad is going to happen when it does.

C'mon, Link, stop this. Stop thinking like everything is wrong in the world; I put in the work to ensure that we were all safe. The blood moon is nothing but a moon, and that's how it'll stay for as long as Hyrule exists, with me as its protector. There isn't a single thing I should be bothering my mind with, so I do my best to expel the thought, settling my head down and allowing my eyes to fall to a steady close. Things will be fine, I just have to place faith in my own handiwork. Ganon's gone, and he's never coming back.

Never.

So why can't I sleep? Finding it impossible to even think of losing consciousness the moment I'm nuzzled down under my covers, pointed ears encased in the warm, fluffy material, I just end up staring at the wall and the gold that's laced through it. Am I really that worried? Am I honestly getting myself this worked up over something that's been settled for months now?

With a gentle groan, flopping onto my back once more, I make a lazy swipe for my Sheikah Slate, squinting as the screen hovering before me illuminates brightly. It's only when it dims do I notice something in the reflective surface, a sharp gasp immediately catching in my tight throat. Markings. All over my face, there are black markings, glowing ruby around the edges of each alarming symbol, giving them a sharpness that's startling to the eye.

Unable to comprehend how they even got there, I immediately flick through the contacts settled within the slate, fingers shaking a touch as I furiously tap away. There has to be some sort of explanation for it; there just has to be! Maybe it's just a coming of age thing, but these crests look far too menacing to be anything of the sort.

Finding nothing useful in the data files I've managed to collect through my journey, I merely set the slate to one side and pull myself out of bed, throwing open the curtains and glancing up at the sky, having never once been alerted to the break of the morning sunlight. So it's no wonder why I stumble back, yelping and tripping over my own feet as the harsh light spills into my room in typhoons. Why didn't Zelda wake me? I thought she hated it when I slept in.

After I've recovered from being spooked by the sun, of all things, I merely pluck myself up again and stiffly toddle over to my chest, cracking open the creaky wood and tugging free my champion's tunic. Smirking fondly at the scuffs and nicks it's sustained throughout my travels, I gently pull the garment over my head and let it settle, slotting my legs into my trousers and proceeding to bind my feet in a pair of leather boots.

All the while, trying to avoid glancing at myself in the mirror, though I can't stop my eyes from fluttering in that vague direction, taking in the sight of those terrifying markings. I wish I knew what they were there for, as well as how they'd appeared, but the knowledge is truly lost on me. So I choose to break my gaze away the moment I've tugged my hair into its neat ponytail, letting it tickle against my nape. I'm certain I can get help from Zelda about this; she's the one who's done the research. She knows about things like this.

Which is why, the moment I've strapped my sword to my back and fixed the Sheikah Slate to my hip, I finally rush out of my room towards Zelda's quarters, hoping that I won't have to scout the entire castle just to find one girl. And, thankfully, I don't; the moment I begin to cross the bridge connecting to the building in which her room is located, my sapphire eyes suddenly catch a flash of blonde, fluttering down and meeting with the image of Zelda, bathed in the morning light. And, as usual, she's tending to the garden, something she usually prefers to do when I'm not around. I suppose it has something to do with the sword.

And, though I don't expect her to, when she realises the shadow of my form that's being cast down upon her by the soft sun, she finally looks my way, probably unable to see the hideous symbols that litter my skin from such a distance in lighting like this.

"Oh, Link! I didn't see you there, you startled me! Come down, I've got something to show you!" She chimes, beaming at me with a smile that I'm sure is soon to fall. But I follow her commands nonetheless, ensuring that my fringe hides the marks as I scuttle my way through the training grounds, dodging the occasional, poorly-shot arrow.

I merely flick up the hood of my cloak and keep walking, the clicking of my boots fading the moment they connect with the grass. "Look, I've managed to finally grow one! It's just a sprout, but I'm sure that, with tender care, it'll bloom into a beautiful flower," Zelda breathes, grinning at the dainty sprout emerging from the soil, the beginnings of a Silent Princess peeking through the earth.

As usual, I barely say anything, merely nodding and teasing my bottom lip between my teeth, hesitantly raising my head and removing my hood.

"Princess," I silently murmur in an attempt to draw her attention away from the flower, her eyes taking a few moments to meet with my own. Only to widen in horror when she spots the speckles of black forming malicious symbols upon my features. Pressing her hands to her mouth, she gently rises to her feet, letting one of her palms fit around my cheek.

"Link... What happened? These marks are- They're dark marks," she whispers, glancing around with rapid flicks of her gaze, before pulling up my hood again, making sure my face is hidden from view. "Come. We must find answers before it's too late."

"Too late for what, Princess?"

"... Too late to stop you from becoming a manifestation of darkness."

~

A/N

So here it is, my first fanfiction on this account. I've written on another account before, but this one is just for shorter, more experimental stories, mostly Zelda related. I can't wait to work more on this story, and I hope you guys are as excited as me.

Until next time n-n